Perfect Punishment
by Graceful Storyteller
Summary: AU. Jiraiya tells Naruto they're getting a new maid. To Naruto's surprise the maid is a he! NaruGaaNaru, one-sided SasuGaa, with Gaara being forced to crossdress
1. Chapter 1

**Perfect Punishment**

"We're getting a new maid today."

Naruto looked up from his breakfast. He didn't like the way his grandfather was smiling at him. He usually only smiled like that when he was thinking perverted thoughts. Naruto glared at the older man. "This isn't another one of your schemes is it?" he accused.

"What schemes?" Jiraiya asked, trying to look as innocent as a well-known pervert could.

"The ones that involve you paying women to seduce me."

Jiraiya chuckled quietly at the memory of his last scheme to get his grandson laid. Much to his chagrin his plan had failed and Naruto had ended up being extremely angry instead of sexually satisfied. "Don't worry Naruto; now that I know that you didn't want those women because you're gay and not sexually retarded I intend to leave your virginity alone."

Naruto blushed and grumbled quietly to himself before asking, "Why do we need a new maid? I thought we were already fully staffed."

"Because one can never have too many maids," replied Jiraiya sagely. "That and I agreed to do an old friend a favour."

"What favour? What friend?" Naruto asked suspiciously, knowing exactly what sort of friends his grandfather had.

"Sorry, that information is confidential," Jiraiya replied without sounding the least bit sorry. "Now hurry up and finish your breakfast or you'll be late for school."

Naruto obediently wolfed down the rest of breakfast before jumping up and rushing to find his school bag. "See you later Old Perv! Try not to molest the maid on her first day!"

Jiraiya chuckled evilly as the door slammed shut. "Don't worry Naruto – I think this maid has a much higher chance of being molested by you than me."

It was then that the phone rang. Moments later Jiraiya's butler walked into the room carrying the phone. "Judge Sarutobi for you Sir."

Jiraiya took the offered phone. "Sarutobi! How are you?"

"I'm fine thank you Jiraiya," answered the old judge cheerfully. "I thought I'd call to confirm you were still willing to go through with this."

"Of course I'm willing! Don't worry, I'll have him back on the straight and narrow in no time. If I can get my grandson to give up his troublesome ways I can sort this kid out as well, no problem."

Sarutobi laughed quietly. "I doubt it'll be as easy as you make it sound. This one has a lot of problems and a lot of black marks against his name. If this wasn't his last chance of redemption I wouldn't have asked you to come up with one of your crazy schemes."

"My schemes may be crazy but they usually work." Jiraiya paused before changing the subject. "So, when do I get to meet him?"

"He'll be escorted to your house after school by his social worker. Would you be able to take him home afterwards?"

"Yes, no problem. Stop worrying Sarutobi – everything will be fine."

"I hope you're right Jiraiya, I sincerely hope you are right."

* * *

"Hey! Grandpa! Have you molested the new maid yet?!" 

Jiraiya looked up from his laptop as Naruto burst loudly into the room. "What? No hello? No 'how was your day'?"

"It looks like you spent the day writing one of your sex books so I already know that you had a good day," Naruto said as he dropped down onto the couch. "Now answer my question."

Jiraiya shook his head with slight exasperation. "How can I molest someone who hasn't arrived yet?"

"Given time I'm sure you'd find a way," Naruto said casually as he shrugged out of his school blazer.

Jiraiya laughed at that. "Go upstairs and get changed, I'll call you when they arrive so that you can make sure I don't do anything inappropriate."

Naruto nodded and left the room, dragging his bag and blazer behind him. Ten minutes later he heard the doorbell. He shook his head sadly. Poor girl didn't know what she was letting herself in for. Naruto decided he should go and find out what she looked like to judge how badly his grandfather would chase her.

Abandoning his homework, Naruto quietly made his way down to the top of the bottom staircase. Looking down he was surprised to see two males in the hall. One was a man in his mid-twenties and the other was a boy about Naruto's age. The boy had blood red hair and was wearing a very battered school uniform that Naruto didn't recognize. Naruto was instantly intrigued by the redhead and his purpose in their home. However, the evil that is homework called to him and made him return to his room. He needed to get it done after all and he could always question his grandfather about the redhead later.

Meanwhile, down in the hallway Jiraiya was beaming at said redhead who was giving him a glare of maximum intensity. He was just as Sarutobi had described him. The kid radiated hostility and his piercing green eyes promised anyone who crossed him a swift death. It made Jiraiya chuckle internally when he thought of how different the kid would be when he'd finished with him.

"Gaara was it?" The redhead remained silent. "You can call me Lord Jiraiya; I'll be your boss as long as you're working here. I'm sure your social worker has already told you that you're not to cause trouble while you're here and to do everything I say so I'll skip all that and just get to the part where I tell you what you'll be doing, which is basically cleaning. I don't really need to explain what cleaning involves do I?" Silence. "Good! But don't think that you can slack off just because I'm not there watching you all the time you're here. My grandson will be supervising you for me; you'll meet him as soon as you've changed into your outfit."

This time Jiraiya did get a reaction. A quizzical lift of invisible eyebrows. Jiraiya handed over a box and waited for the boy's reaction. Eyes (expectedly) widened in horror before narrowing as he aimed a glare at Jiraiya who merely grinned as if there was absolutely nothing wrong with the boy's outfit.

Gaara's first words to him were ground out through clenched teeth. "I am not wearing this."

Jiraiya smiled innocently. "But this is the outfit all my cleaning staff wears."

"I'm not part of your staff."

"Your punishment is to be an un-paid member of my staff until I see fit to let you go, therefore you will wear the uniform. Remember, you have to do everything I say."

Gaara was very obviously furious. If looks could kill Jiraiya would be six foot under. But Gaara was able to refrain from lashing out. He knew he was on thin ice with the law and that violence would solve nothing in this situation. With great reluctance he hissed, "Where's the bathroom?"

Jiraiya's smile widened as he pointed to a door down the hall. Gaara stomped over to it and slammed the door behind him. Jiraiya chuckled quietly as he turned to Gaara's social worker. "Everything's alright here – you can go now if you want."

The man nodded and took his leave, saying goodbye at the same time as wondering what Jiraiya had done to get under Gaara's skin. The kid usually didn't flinch at anything so what could have possibly been in that box?

Once the front door closed Jiraiya shouted for his grandson to come down. Naruto rushed down the stairs, coming to a stop next to his grandfather. "What?"

"I want to introduce you to our new maid."

Naruto instantly knew something was up. Jiraiya's grin was far too wide and his eyes were full of mischief. Hesitantly, Naruto asked, "So where is she?"

"Gaara's getting changed at the moment, he'll be out in a minute."

Just as Naruto was beginning to work out what was wrong with that sentence Gaara stepped out into the hall. After that, Naruto's brain had to reboot because the shock of seeing the redhead from before in a French maid's outfit had made his mind shut down. Black satin dress that revealed his pale shoulders; white lace apron, gloves and head piece; black fishnet stockings; a black choker and black high heeled shoes. It was too much for Naruto to handle.

The whole thing was also almost too much for Gaara to handle. Gaara's face burned and he was shaking with anger and humiliation. He hated Jiraiya for making him do this, hated whoever had allowed him to do this. This was cruel and unusual and, damn it, this dress was way too short to be considered decent!

Jiraiya had to stop himself from laughing when the livid redhead started to walk towards him. It was obvious Gaara was not use to wearing high heels from the way he stumbled and kept coming very close to falling flat on his face. The scene made Jiraiya wish he had a video-camera.

Jiraiya felt like laughing once again when he turned to look at his grandson. It seemed Naruto had inherited his perverted genes from the way he was staring dazedly at the redhead. Smitten already – Jiraiya's plan was working perfectly.

When Gaara had finally reached them Jiraiya decided to start the introductions. "Gaara, this is my grandson Naruto. Naruto, this is Gaara – our new maid." Gaara flinched at the word 'maid'. Jiraiya internally cackled before continuing. "Naruto, you don't mind showing Gaara around and keeping an eye on him do you?" Naruto shook his head, most likely to clear away his perverted thoughts. "Excellent! I'll leave you to it then! Cleaning supplies are in the cupboard by the way."

Suddenly the two teenagers were alone in the hall. Naruto coughed to try and break what he thought was an embarrassed silence. "So, err, best get started then."

Gaara nodded reluctantly and wobbled over to the cupboard. Naruto blushed and hurriedly looked away as Gaara bent over to pick up the supplies. He was _not _a pervert like his grandfather; he would _not _stare at Gaara's ass. He would also not appreciate the delicate curves or the-ah!

When Naruto was able to bring himself back to reality he noticed that Gaara was waiting for directions. Naruto led the way through to the posh living room that had thousands of ornaments that needed cleaning. The furniture would also probably need a clean since it had been ages since the room had last been used. This living room was only for entertaining really important guests and that didn't happen often.

Gaara set to work dusting while Naruto hung back and watched. After a minute he began to wonder if it had been a good idea to let Gaara near the easily breakable ornaments. The redhead was still trembling with anger as he ran the dust cloth over the china.

The scene made Naruto wonder why Gaara was there. It obviously wasn't by choice so that must mean someone had forced him. For once Naruto knew his grandfather wasn't guilty of this crime. Jiraiya was a twisted pervert but he was one-hundred percent straight and so would receive no profit from doing this. Then Naruto remembered that Jiraiya had told him he was hiring Gaara as a favour for a friend. Naruto had been suspicious about this before but was doubly so now that he had found out Gaara's gender.

Feeling he should calm Gaara down before his iron grip crushed something, Naruto gently placed his hand on the redhead's shoulder. Gaara jumped in surprise at suddenly being broken off from his internal ranting. He glared at Naruto, angry at the other teen for catching him unaware.

Naruto smiled placidly in the face of Gaara's glare. "I can tell you're mad at being in this position but you need to chill or you'll be working for longer than necessary to pay the old perv back for breaking his ornaments."

Gaara, seeing the sense in Naruto's words, took a deep breath and released it slowly. There was no point in letting his emotions take control and extending his sentence. He could bear the humiliation; he would not give the old man the satisfaction of seeing how much this affected him.

Naruto's grin grew as Gaara took his advice and cleaned the ornaments more carefully. He regretfully removed his hand from the redhead's shoulder and took a step back to give Gaara his space.

As Gaara continued to work, Naruto found himself becoming bored. He flopped down onto the sofa and looked about the room for something to occupy his short attention span. Unfortunately for Naruto (or fortunately, depending which way you look at it) the only thing of interest in the room was Gaara.

Every time the Gaara turned his head his short red hair would fall back to reveal his pale neck and shoulders. When he bent down to his box of supplies the black dress would ride up far enough that Naruto was graced with a lovely view of Gaara's thighs and ass. Finally, when the redhead tried to move about he would stumble in his high heels and only just be able to catch himself before he fell. The glare Gaara gave Naruto for witnessing this, coupled with the blush that dusted his cheeks, made him utterly adorable in Naruto's eyes.

It took all of Naruto's self-control to stop him from ravishing Gaara. The boy in the maid's outfit really didn't know how delicious he looked. It didn't help that Naruto was a teenage boy with raging hormones that didn't care about the consequences of his testosterone induced actions. Naruto was smart enough to know that he wouldn't get out of molesting someone unscathed.

Naruto groaned in frustration at his predicament. This made Gaara pause and look up curiously at the blond teen. "Are you alright?"

It wasn't that Gaara cared about how the blond was feeling, he was merely curious. The other boy had been relatively kind to him so far and Gaara was suspicious as to why. It was obvious Naruto's grandfather was out to humiliate Gaara so why didn't the grandson even smirk when he stumbled? The boy intrigued Gaara enough that the redhead had decided that he wasn't going to all-out despise the blond.

It also helped matters that Naruto looked very hot in low cut jeans and baggy black shirt that had the name of one of Gaara's favourite bands emblazoned on the front. Gaara had long ago accepted that he was gay and it was one of the reasons he was currently in trouble with the law. More than once had he been insulted or attacked because of his sexual preferences. Gaara had often returned the abuse thrown at him with his fists and many of his victims had been hospitalised. In Gaara's eyes they deserved what they got; he only wished the law saw it the same way.

Gaara's question interrupted Naruto's mantra of: I will not molest the cute redhead; I will not molest the cute redhead; I will not molest-

Naruto's resolve immediately weakened when he saw the position Gaara was in. The redheaded teen was on all-fours and looking over his shoulder at Naruto. This would have been fine if it wasn't for the fact that Gaara was wearing a revealing maid's outfit, his ass was stuck up in the air and his legs were parted invitingly.

"I'm fine," Naruto mumbled as he raised his hand to his face to make sure he wasn't having a nosebleed.

Gaara raised an invisible eyebrow. "You look feverish."

To Naruto's great relief and utter disappointment, Gaara got up from the floor to get a better look at him. Naruto removed his hand from his face and gave Gaara a reassuring grin. "I'm fine; the room's just a little hot."

"I don't feel hot," said Gaara with a slightly suspicious tone.

"That's because you're hardly wearing anything." Naruto's face darkened as his brain caught up with his mouth. "What I mean is that you're showing more skin than me. No! You're not showing more skin than me! Your outfit's just more revealing. Wait! No! What I'm trying to say is that-"

As Naruto continued to try and correct his mistake, Gaara stood as stiff as a board. Was Naruto hitting on him? If so, should he be offended? He'd already admitted to himself that he thought Naruto was good-looking so he really shouldn't be offended by the other's ramblings. Still, the fact that the other had _noticed _how indecently he was dressed was rather worrying. Actually, it wasn't the fact that he had noticed (as one could hardly _not _notice that he was wearing a too-short dress and fishnets) but the fact that Naruto had apparently been _dwelling _on his risqué appearance that worried Gaara.

When Naruto decided he'd dug a sizable grave he stopped trying to make things better. He merely grinned weakly and said, "Please don't hurt me for thinking you're hot."

"Okay."

Naruto blinked in surprise. "What?"

"I said Okay."

Naruto was confused by Gaara's response. Did this mean that the other teen didn't mind the fact that Naruto had been hitting on him? Did Gaara want Naruto to hit on him? Or was he just not going to hurt him because he didn't want Jiraiya to think up another punishment for him?

In reality it was for neither of these reasons. Since Gaara didn't know how to react he was simply not going to react at all. He was going to pretend Naruto's little outburst had never happened and return to cleaning. However, he was going to make a mental note that his supervisor thought he was hot, as it may help him at a later date.

Gaara returned to cleaning, well aware that Naruto's eyes were on him. Naruto was carefully considering his next move. He could sit, do nothing, and be tormented by his hormones or he could act. Taking action could be dangerous but then it might also be rewarding. Seeing as Naruto was an impulsive person he decided he'd rather risk getting into trouble than sit around twiddling his thumbs.

Standing up, Naruto stealthily made his way over to Gaara. The redhead didn't notice Naruto was behind him until Naruto's hands were planted on his hips. He jerked and turned his head to look at Naruto in alarm. The blond smiled amiably back at him.

Gaara's eyes narrowed slightly as he asked, "What are you doing?"

"Just testing a theory," replied Naruto innocently as his arms moved to completely encircle Gaara's waist.

"What theory?" asked Gaara edgily.

Naruto's lips were pressed against Gaara's ear as he whispered, "The theory that I've just come up with."

Gaara repressed the urge to shiver. Naruto was too close for comfort. He was also being too damn seductive. The blond teen was trailing light kisses from Gaara's ear, down his neck and across his exposed shoulder.

Gaara both liked and disliked this new attention. He liked it because it felt really good but disliked it because Naruto was molesting him without permission. Gaara was actually surprised that he hadn't already done something to stop Naruto harassing him. At any other time he would have turned around and kicked the shit out of anyone who dared to mess with him. This time however…

Naruto's lips were back at Gaara's ear. "You know what? I think you like being molested."

Gaara growled and reached up to grab Naruto's neck. Naruto immediately released Gaara, taking a step back to distance himself from the threat. Gaara spun around and grabbed hold of Naruto's wrist, spinning the blond around so that his arm was in a rather painful position. Naruto gasped as Gaara applied more pressure on his trapped limb. Gaara leaned in close, hissing in Naruto's ear, "Others have tried to take advantage of me before and they've all had sticky ends. Cross me and I'll make you wish you were never born."

Before Gaara knew what was happening Naruto had him in an arm lock. Gaara retaliated by kicking out, overbalancing them and taking them to the floor. They grappled for awhile, trying desperately to pin the other. In the end Gaara managed to pin Naruto down with his arms above his head.

Naruto chuckled quietly. "Guess those self-defence lessons were a waste of the old perv's money after all," he said with a tinge of bitterness.

Gaara smirked down at his prey. "Don't feel too bad about it; I've taken down guys twice your size before."

"Really?"

"Oh yes," Gaara said before moving closer so that his breath ghosted across Naruto's lips. He then added in a deadly seductive voice, "I've made grown men cry and beg for death."

Naruto shivered. Why was Gaara so alluring when he talked like that? Why was talk of death and pain turning Naruto on? And why the hell hadn't Gaara ravished him yet?!

Gaara involuntarily licked his lips as he stared down at Naruto. The boy looked so appealing with his flushed cheeks and half-lidded eyes. The sight along with the position was sending Gaara on a power trip. It was also making him very hot under the collar.

Gaara's face was so very close to his. All it would take for the gap to be breached would be for Naruto to tilt his head ever so slightly and then they would be…Then they were kissing.

It was soft, chaste, and it was their first from another boy. Both teens stared at each other for a few seconds before their lips reconnected and their eyes slipped shut. Again the kiss was tender, but it was more passionate than their first.

Naruto opened his eyes and stared up at the boy hovering above him. He chuckled embarrassedly before saying, "And I was the one to tell the old perv not to molest the new maid." Gaara's lip twitched as if he was trying not to smile. Naruto grinned then blushed slightly as he continued, "Mind releasing my hands so I can molest you some more?"

Gaara's eyes hardened. "I hope you remember what I said earlier: I don't like being taken advantage of."

"I'm not trying to take advantage of you," said Naruto earnestly. "If you don't want to continue then we don't have to. You do, after all, have the position of power at the moment."

Gaara studied Naruto for a moment as if he was trying to decipher the real meaning behind his words. His eyes then softened in acceptance and he released Naruto's hands. Naruto smiled and ran a hand through Gaara's short red hair. Gaara closed his eyes, seemingly content. Then the butler called from the hallway, "Master Naruto, dinner is nearly ready."

Gaara was quick to scramble off Naruto. He hurriedly scanned the room and was relieved to find that they had not been caught in such an intimate position.

Naruto was also blushing as he got to his feet. He gave Gaara a weak grin before saying, "Care to join us for dinner?" Gaara nodded, took a step forward and stumbled. Naruto had a hard time controlling his laughter. "You can leave the high heels here."

Gaara gratefully kicked off the accursed shoes. Naruto then wrapped his arm around Gaara's waist and started leading him towards the dinning room. Gaara looked at the arm curiously. "Won't your grandfather be angry if he sees you doing that?"

Naruto snorted. "No, he'll probably just wink suggestively and tell me where I can find good yaoi porn."

Gaara scowled. "Your grandfather doesn't sound very responsible."

"Trust me – he isn't. The only time he ever gets involved in my life is when he's trying to get me to copy his dirty habit of sleeping with women I have never met before and know nothing about! He's promised not to do that anymore though now that he knows I'm gay. Still, knowing him, he'll probably present me with some pretty boy in a sexy outfit and hope that I'll be attracted to him enough to want to have sex with him."

Both teens stopped in their tracks as they both had the same epiphany. Gaara was a pretty boy in a sexy maid's outfit. Jiraiya had set them up! And with that knowledge both Naruto and Gaara headed to dinner, silently making their own plans on how they were going to kill the old pervert.

* * *

Please Review! 


	2. Chapter 2

Because so many demanded that this be continued I have written another chapter and more are on their way! This chapter is mostly what happens at dinner and Naruto and Gaara getting closer to each other. Next chapter probably won't be out until after the New Year as I have exams to revise for. I also must thank Fairyniamh for helping with ideas for this chapter as at the beginning I had no plot whatsoever.

Happy Holidays!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Jiraiya was already seated in the dinning room when Naruto and Gaara entered. He had anticipated that Gaara would still be fuming after being embarrassed like he had and so was not concerned when the redhead entered the room with a stormy expression upon his face. Jiraiya was however surprised when Naruto entered with a similar expression. He started to worry that the two had gotten into some kind of fight. If this was the case then his plan would be ruined! Naruto wasn't going to sleep with somebody he hated and Gaara wasn't going to start acting nice if he didn't have a boyfriend to encourage him! Jiraiya refused to let all his scheming come to nothing. He would have to find out what the problem was and then fix it if he hoped to salvage his plan.

Putting on a cheerful face Jiraiya asked, "How's the cleaning going?"

Two equally hateful glares were turned on him. Nobody spoke as the looks they were sending gave a perfectly interpretable answer.

Naruto was angry at his grandfather for breaking his promise to stop playing matchmaker. He would have also been angry at Gaara for deceiving him if he hadn't seen the look of furious incredulity on the redhead's face when he too came to the conclusion that Jiraiya had used them. Naruto wanted to scream at his grandfather but was resisting the urge until Gaara had left; he really didn't want the redhead to think that he was some sort of crazy person.

Gaara was shaking slightly with fury after realizing that Jiraiya had not only humiliated him but also manipulated him. Once again he was barely restraining himself from breaking the old perv's nose. Gaara didn't know why he was here in Jiraiya's mansion anymore. Was it a bizarre punishment or was it something else? He didn't know what it was but he knew he hated it. He didn't hate Naruto though; Naruto was the only thing he didn't hate about this whole situation. The blond was also being used in some way by his grandfather that Gaara didn't quite understand. Gaara almost smiled at the thought that Naruto's family was nearly as screwed up as his own. Nearly, but not quite.

Dinner was laid out before them by girls in outfits similar to Gaara's. They too sensed something amiss at the dinning table. For one Jiraiya was not shamelessly flirting with them or trying to look down their shirts. For another Naruto was not talking. Lastly, the tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

None of the staff seemed perturbed by the fact that there was a cross-dressing boy at the table. Naruto had invited some of his friends from school to dinner before and they had all been equally as weird, some even more so. For this reason the girls were more concerned about the above things than Gaara's choice of clothes.

Silence reigned as the three seated at the table began their meal. Jiraiya's eyes constantly flickered back and forth between the two teens. He was trying to work out how he could find out what was going on without setting them both off. It was proving a difficult task to complete.

"Did you finish your homework Naruto?"

"I'll do it tomorrow," muttered Naruto as he impaled a piece of broccoli on his fork.

Jiraiya watched with fascination as Naruto raised the vegetable to his lips, bit down and then chewed until the broccoli was ready to be swallowed. Naruto _hated_vegetables, loathed them with a burning passion. Yet he was _eating_them without complaint. That only ever happened when something important was on his mind and he was too distracted to notice what he was doing.

Jiraiya turned his attention to Gaara. The redhead was glaring down at his plate as if it was the cause of all his troubles. Jiraiya pondered a sensible question to ask the redhead. Not able to think up one, he decided to ask a perverted question.

"So, Gaara, have you ever cross-dressed before?"

Gaara's iron grip on his fork tightened as he resisted the urge to stab it into Jiraiya's eye. "No."

"Really? Not even when you were little? Because I can remember when Naruto was little and he played dress-up with one of his friends. They were playing house if I remember correctly. The other boy insisted that Naruto should be the mother and made him wear his sister's dress. He looked absolutely adorable in it!"

"Grandpa," hissed Naruto in warning through clenched teeth.

Jiraiya looked at Naruto innocently. "But you were adorable! And you had so much fun doing it too! In fact, when it time for you to go home you didn't want to take the dress off. Maybe that was because it was orange but still-"

"Grandpa!" Naruto shouted in horrified outrage as he slammed his fork down on the table. How dare his grandfather retell such embarrassing stories about events that Naruto couldn't remember and therefore could not defend himself against? And how dare he tell them to the guy that Naruto liked of all people? Naruto was seriously considering hitting his grandfather, regardless of whether it was a good idea to do so in front of a guest or not.

Meanwhile Gaara was internally smirking. Naruto was actually kind of cute when he was flustered. A deep blush covered the bridge of his nose and his lips were pouting. It was easy to imagine this boy in a pretty orange dress obediently submitting to Gaara's will. Subconsciously Gaara licked his lips as he stared at Naruto in a very predatory manner.

Jiraiya noticed Gaara staring at Naruto and wondered if perhaps he had come to a conclusion too quickly. His plan might not be doomed after all if the predatory look in Gaara's eyes was anything to go on. Jiraiya smirked as he turned back to his grandson. "Calm down Naruto, there's no reason to get so flustered. Jeez, you'd think I was doing something really embarrassing like proclaiming to the world that you're a virgin and in dire need of some hot teenage bad boy to tie you down and ravish you."

"You just did!" screamed Naruto.

Jiraiya looked mock thoughtful. "Hmm, I did, didn't I?"

Naruto lost it. "You stupid old perv! Why do you always have to embarrass me like that? Don't you have any shame?!"

Jiraiya grinned. "Nope, none whatsoever."

Naruto covered his face and screamed into his hands before storming out of the room. There was a moment of dead silence between the two remaining diners before Gaara got to his feet and left to find Naruto. Jiraiya waited a minute before chasing after the two, intent on seeing what would happen next.

Gaara bypassed the rooms downstairs as he had distinctly heard Naruto stampeding up to the floor above. After that it was a task of systematically looking into each room to find where Naruto was.

Upon opening the seventh door down the corridor Gaara found his prize. Naruto's walls were painted an orange-red colour and were partially covered by posters. The curtains and bedspread were matching patterns in a black and orange design. The floor was covered by a soft plush carpet that, thankfully, was navy blue instead of orange. It didn't take a great amount of intelligence to guess Naruto's favourite colour.

Gaara found said blond lying face down on his bed. The redhead closed the door behind him and perched on the side of Naruto's bed. He stared silently down at the unmoving boy, waiting to be acknowledged.

"You here to convince me to forgive the old perv?"

"No, I'm here to ravish you," replied Gaara emotionlessly.

Naruto sharply turned to look at him. "Oh, it's you Gaara. I thought it was one of the maids trying to get me to apologize."

Gaara raised one of his invisible eyebrows. "You didn't think it was your grandfather here to apologize to you?"

Naruto snorted. "If he'd been the one to sit on the bed it would have sunk a lot more." The blond paused for a second before asking, almost shyly, "Are you really here to ravish me?"

Gaara's lip twitched up into a smile. "If you want me to."

"No, I want to remain a virgin until my wedding night so that my handsome husband can have the full pleasure of deflowering and claiming me." Naruto laughed at the look of mild confusion on Gaara's face. "I'm joking Ok? Personally I don't see the point in waiting until the wedding night. I do refuse to put out on the first date though. If you want me you're going to have to wait."

"I can wait," replied Gaara calmly. He then reached out and deftly ran his fingers through Naruto's hair. Naruto smiled contently at the enjoyable sensation. He then rolled over onto his side and motioned for Gaara to lie down next to him. The redhead did as bidden but made sure there was a good distance between them. As much as he liked Naruto Gaara still didn't like his personal space being invaded. He was still suspicious of the boy and wasn't about to let his guard down that easily.

Luckily Naruto didn't notice the suspicion in Gaara's eyes. The blond reached out and trailed his fingers over Gaara's cheek. Gaara pressed his lips together in response to the tingling sensation the action created, not sure whether he liked it or not. Naruto smirked at the face. His fingers moved down from Gaara's cheek to his neck. Naruto's fingers rose and fell as Gaara swallowed. They then trailed over the redhead's collarbone and shoulder before reaching the obstacle of Gaara's clothing. Naruto skimmed over the fabric until he once again found flawless pale skin.

"You know, for all your talk of making grown men cry you've not got so much as a scratch on you," mused Naruto.

"That's because most can't land a punch on me," said Gaara coolly. "I also don't bruise easily."

"Same here. Well, I don't know if it's that I don't bruise easily – I just heal really quickly."

Naruto's hand ran back up to Gaara's shoulder before trailing down and tracing the contours of his body. Gaara shifted uncomfortably when Naruto's hand reached his thigh. He hastily adjusted his skirt to make sure he was properly covered. Naruto noticed this and couldn't stop the smirk from forming on his lips.

"What have you got to hide Gaara? Is there something down there you don't want me to see?" Naruto teased.

Gaara blushed lightly. He petulantly removed Naruto's hand from his thigh, throwing it against Naruto's chest. Naruto chuckled and decided that some much needed teasing was in order. His hand darted forward, landing on Gaara's waist, the force pushing the redhead onto his back. Naruto rolled with his arm so that he was straddling Gaara. The green eyed boy glared up at him, not entirely sure what Naruto was planning but knowing it couldn't be good.

Naruto was about to implement his plan when from outside he heard the call. "Lord Jiraiya what are you doing?"

As quick as a flash Naruto jumped off Gaara to the other side of the bed. Gaara sat up and made sure he also wasn't in any sort of compromising position. Once both their rapid pulses had calmed somewhat, Naruto got up and opened his door. There was nobody outside. Naruto frowned, he was certain that he had heard something. Shrugging, he walked back into his room, closing the door behind him.

A few doors along Jiraiya let out a sigh of relief. He released the maid who had called to him with a sheepish grin. "Sorry about that, I didn't want Naruto to hear me and find out I'd been eavesdropping."

Blushing heavily the girl muttered an, "Of course," before opening the door and retreating to the kitchen.

Jiraiya was left alone to contemplate what he had learned which, in essence, was nothing. Naruto's door was made of very sturdy wood and, much to Jiraiya's chagrin, no discernable sound had made its way to his ears. He'd been able to tell that they were talking but nothing else. Jiraiya had waited awhile hoping the sound quality would improve but it hadn't. He had only just decided to risk barging in when the maid had gone and blown his cover. Now he couldn't go in without seeming suspicious. Jiraiya cursed and began to analyze his options.

Meanwhile, inside the room with an anti-eavesdropping door, Naruto collapsed back onto his bed. Gaara had moved off the bed and begun to explore Naruto's room. It was a hard task to accomplish as many of Naruto's things were haphazardly strewn across the floor. Gaara bent down and picked up a graphic novel that was in his way. He smirked as he read the title. "You read Shoujo?"

"Some of them are very funny and well drawn," said Naruto earnestly.

Gaara bent down again to look at more of Naruto's manga before organizing it. Naruto followed him with his eyes, no longer feeling that he needed to restrain himself from staring at Gaara's ass.

A few minutes later all of Naruto's comics were neatly stacked on his shelf in numerical order. Naruto smirked at Gaara as the redhead proudly regarded his handiwork. "Do you always act so anal or are you just doing it to impress me?" Naruto asked cheekily.

Gaara glared evilly at him. "I don't do anything for the sole purpose of impressing others."

"So you're naturally a neat-freak then?"

Without saying a word Gaara stalked towards Naruto. He straddled the blond teen's waist and leaned in so that there was barely an inch between them. Naruto swallowed hard, slightly unnerved by the close contact. Well, it wasn't really the close contact that unsettled him – it was that Gaara was close and Naruto didn't know the reason for it.

In his deadly calm (yet incredibly sexy) voice Gaara asked, "Is there something wrong with liking order and cleanliness?"

"No, there's nothing wrong with it."

"Good." With that Gaara stood up and returned to tidying the contents of Naruto's bedroom.

Naruto remained stationary for a few seconds before turning on his side to look at Gaara. "You're weird."

"Deal with it."

Naruto grinned. "I will." Gaara raised an invisible eyebrow. Naruto rolled onto his feet and moved close to the redhead. He raised his hand and gently ran his knuckles over Gaara's cheek. "I like weirdness."

"Interesting," muttered Gaara. "Most would say that they despise anyone who is weird or not normal."

"Well I'm not most people – I hate people who aren't true to themselves."

"That's good."

They both lapsed into a comfortable silence, a smile pulling at Naruto's lips and gleaming in Gaara's eyes. Feeling the need to fidget, Naruto took hold of Gaara's hand and peeled the white glove off it. He then began to examine the long pale digits.

Gaara's skin was incredibly soft and Naruto soon found that he was fascinated by it. After caressing the palm and fingers with his thumb, Naruto pressed the back of Gaara's hand against his cheek to further revel in the silky smoothness.

"What are you doing?"

Naruto grinned sheepishly as he realised how oddly he was behaving. "You have very nice hands."

Gaara's confused frown deepened. A light blush then coloured his cheeks as Naruto (who it had suddenly occurred to that the rest of Gaara's skin might also be satiny smooth) began running his fingers up Gaara's arm and over his shoulder. The boy's touch made Gaara tingle and feel very strange. It made him both want to pull away and rip Naruto's shirt off his back. It was hard to decide which course of action would lead to the most desirable outcome.

Gaara settled for pinning Naruto up against the wall and crushing his lips in a kiss. Naruto responded eagerly, his arms wrapping around Gaara's neck to stop the redhead from pulling away. Gaara's eyes closed as he allowed himself to lead the kiss on instinct alone.

It didn't take Naruto's hands very long to become restless and soon they were travelling down Gaara's back to rest on his waist. They lingered there for a little while before slipping down further, causing Gaara to gasp when they squeezed. Naruto took the opportunity to add tongue to the conversation. Gaara replied by thrusting his body against Naruto's, using the boy's shock to push the invading tongue back into Naruto's mouth. He then regained control of the situation for a few seconds before Naruto was back, battling him for dominance.

A few minutes later their lips disconnected. Gaara placed his forehead against Naruto's, their eyes connecting and holding. They were both short of breath but they were also giving each other their own version of a smile.

Gaara's eyes once again slipped shut. It was nice being close to another person like this. He'd never been particularly close to anyone before in a platonic sense, let alone a romantic sense, so this was all completely new to him. Never before had the sight of a person filled him with such lust; never before had he inexplicably wanted to be with a person. It was maddening yet Gaara loved the way he felt when he got caught up in the moment. He sincerely hoped he wasn't the only one feeling this way.

Luckily for Gaara Naruto was also feeling rather dazed by the whole experience. Gaara was amazing and beautiful and looked so damn fine in a dress. Naruto felt incredibly lucky to have found someone willing to let him molest them and then molest him back. However, there were some insecurities, some fears about being used or rejected, but whenever they appeared Naruto would hurriedly push them down and make sure he was smiling so that nobody suspected he was anything but blissfully happy.

After a minute of standing like that Naruto raised his arms to envelope Gaara in a hug. Gaara's body became lax in Naruto's hold, his eyes remaining closed as he let his head droop forward onto Naruto's shoulder. A tender smile graced Naruto's lips as he continued to embrace Gaara, his mind comparing Gaara to cute things like bunnies and puppies that Gaara really didn't resemble in any way. Naruto was so glad Gaara couldn't read minds because if he could Naruto knew he'd be in deep trouble for comparing him to anything that was cute and or fluffy.

Once the train of thought had disappeared into the sunset Naruto realised that it was too quiet. He decided to rectify this by asking Gaara questions. "So, do you have a favourite band?"

"Three Days Grace."

"Cool, I like them too. Favourite colour?"

"Red."

"Favourite food?"

"…Salted tongue."

Naruto paused for a second. "You're joking right?"

"No."

"Eww! That's disgusting!"

Naruto gently pushed Gaara away from him so that he could see the look of disgust on his face. Gaara's lips twitched into a smile upon seeing Naruto's comical appearance. "If you didn't want to know the answer you shouldn't have asked the question."

"I know but…Eww!!!"

Gaara continued to smile in amusement which in turn made Naruto grin. The blond then took possession of Gaara's hand and dragged him towards the bed where he let him go so that he could he get comfy. Naruto beckoned Gaara to do the same before declaring that Gaara needed to tell him all his other weird traits. Gaara took a seat on Naruto's bed and began his tale of how Stephen King became his favourite author and how he discovered eyeliner.

After what only seemed like a few minutes but in fact was a lot longer, one of the maids knocked on Naruto's door and announced that it was time for Gaara to go home. She handed Gaara his clothes to change back into before heading back downstairs.

"Do you have a bathroom up here?" Gaara asked as he got off Naruto's bed.

"You could change in here you know; I promise I won't look," said Naruto as innocently as he could.

Gaara glared at him. "Where's the bathroom?"

"Three doors to the right," replied Naruto with a defeated sigh. He stood up as well and led Gaara to his destination. He then waited outside while Gaara changed. "Are you going to be here tomorrow?" he asked through the door.

"I assume so."

"You assume?"

"Your grandfather said I was going to working here until he decided I had been suitably punished. I somehow doubt he'll consider one day of work suitably punished."

Naruto frowned as he remembered his grandfather's involvement in Gaara being there. "Do you think he set us up somehow?"

"Yes."

"Think we should get revenge?"

"Yes. But how?"

"I'll think of something."

Gaara stepped out of the bathroom with maid costume in hand. "Hopefully that something won't get us into trouble as I'm already on thin ice at the moment."

Naruto gave him a lopsided smile. "Don't worry – I'll try and make it as risk-free a revenge as possible." He paused before adding an awkward, "See you tomorrow," and shyly kissing Gaara's cheek.

"Tomorrow," Gaara mumbled before heading down into the entrance hall.

Naruto leaned over the banister to watch him leave. Gaara looked up once and when he did Naruto gave him a little wave. After Gaara had left Naruto returned to his room and collapsed onto the bed. With Gaara gone the room seemed too quiet for Naruto's liking. He stood to grab one of his comics and turn on the stereo before returning to the bed.

About ten minutes later there was a knock on Naruto's door. Jiraiya entered looking mildly embarrassed. "Can we talk?"

"If we must," muttered Naruto, not looking up from his comic.

Jiraiya sighed. "Look I'm sorry I embarrassed you in front of your friend."

Naruto looked up from his comic with a hurt expression. "Then why did you do it?"

"I didn't do it on purpose! It was just a joke that I took too far. I'm sorry I did it but what's done is done is done and you can't change the past. Forgive me?"

"Do my homework for me and I'll forgive you."

"Brat! You know I'm crap at school stuff."

"Yeah, I'd probably fail if you did it but it would be funny to watch you struggle."

Jiraiya shook his head. Naruto was grinning which meant that he really was forgiven. He was glad about that; an angry and sulky Naruto was no fun at all. "Moving onto another subject; Gaara's going to be here after school for the rest of the week, do you mind watching him for me?"

"Yeah, no problem," Naruto said casually as his gaze returned to his comic.

"Excellent!"

"Grandpa?"

"Yes?" Jiraiya asked, wondering what Naruto was about to ask him when he was already heading out of the room.

"What is Gaara doing working here?"

"A friend of mine, Judge Sarutobi actually, asked me if I could think up one of my bizarre strategies to try and put a young offender back on the straight and narrow. Gaara is that young offender."

Naruto gave his grandfather a perplexed look. "You're putting him back on the straight and narrow by making him cross-dress and clean your house?"

"I'm teaching him humility!"

Naruto rolled his eyes and for a minute it seemed like the conversation was over. Then another question came into Naruto's mind. "What did Gaara do to get in trouble?"

"Mostly it was getting into fights. Sarutobi assured me that he's not a bad kid; he just doesn't have a reason to be good. Apparently he's a real loner – doesn't have a good relationship with his family and no friends at school. Maybe if he did have a friend he'd have a reason to be good."

With that Jiraiya left Naruto with his thoughts, hoping he'd helped push the two boys closer together. He had no idea that he had just given Naruto the ammunition that would help the blond teen get his revenge.

* * *

Please Review! 


	3. Chapter 3

Started out Ok with this chapter and then got writer's block. Came out of my block and wrote something I had no intention of writing.I do wonder where I get these ideas from. Read the chapter and you'll know what I'm talking about. It's the reason I've uped the rating - a safety precaution so nobody can say they weren't warned that I had a very twisted mind. **  
**

Black Joey: For the moment I'm not planning on going into Gaara's home life; I'm just leaving it implied that when he goes home he locks himself in his room and doesn't answer any questions about what happened to him. Or if he does he lies

And now onto the NaruGaaNaru interaction!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

"Let me get this straight; you think your grandfather is not only doing this to get me to take your virginity but also to turn me into a model citizen?"

"That's right."

Gaara didn't look convinced. Admittedly the two parts of the plan didn't exactly go hand in hand. But then it _was_ Jiraiya who had come up with the plan and the fact that he wasn't exactly in his right mind had been established long ago.

"Yeah, I know it sounds messed up but that is the bare essence of the old perv's plan. Now what we've got to do is decide how to ruin his scheme. I thought we could have his scheme backfire by you making me bad instead of me making you good."

"How?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. Make him think I'm doing drugs and shoplifting and stuff like that."

"But then I'll get in trouble for drug dealing and that is a prison worthy offence."

"Not if he doesn't have any proof, you can't charge someone unless you have evidence. We're only going to make him _think_I'm doing those things. And it wouldn't be for long either, just until Granny Tsunade gets home." Naruto chuckled to himself before he noticed that Gaara was confused. "She's the old perv's wife who's currently on a gambling cruise. Grandpa's dead scared of her because she is _vicious_. I doubt he ran this little scheme by her so when she gets back and finds out what he's been up to she'll freak. It'll be entertaining to watch but awful to experience."

"And when is she coming back?"

"The cruise lasts another month-"

"A month! I have to spend a whole month dressed like this?!" hissed Gaara, his fists clenching dangerously.

"No, no, no!" cried Naruto, hurriedly trying to calm Gaara down. "I called her last night and told her to come home right away because the old perv was up to something again. She'll come running back because the last time she ignored my call we had the police and social services over when she arrived back home. It'll take her a week tops to get here, I promise."

Gaara took a deep breath to calm himself down. A week was better than a month. He would have preferred to be able to stop wearing the damn maid's outfit right away but perhaps that was asking for too much.

Gaara fluffed the last pillow and straightened the bed sheet before picking up the pile of bed clothes and moving to the next room. Today his task was to change the bedding for the entire house. It sounded like an easy task to those who didn't know how many beds there were in the house. Gaara, however, had seen the piles of bedding laid out for him and had known from the start that this was going to take a hell of a long time to do. It didn't help matters that Naruto was with him and that being on all fours on a bed covered in satin white sheets gave the blond ideas.

"This is my Grandpa's room," Naruto informed Gaara as they entered the bedroom.

Gaara could have guessed this even if Naruto hadn't told him. Jiraiya hadn't put much effort into hiding the fact that he was a pervert. There were books on the floor that Gaara remembered seeing as he breezed past the adult section of the bookstore, as well as DVD's with titles like 'The whip lady' which easily gave away what they were about. At least there were no graphic images about to give Gaara nightmares.

Gaara regarded Jiraiya's bed with distaste. "Please tell me that he doesn't perform any sexual activities in this bed," he almost begged, though his face was still as emotionless as ever.

"Not as far as I'm aware."

Gaara released a minute sigh as he grabbed a pillow, tearing the cover off it before dropping it to the floor. Naruto smiled to himself as he watched. Gaara really was tempting like this, especially when he became all hot and sweaty from crawling all over the bed. It was almost like he was begging for Naruto to ravish him.

Being unable to resist the temptation, Naruto snuck up behind Gaara, capturing the redhead around his middle. Naruto nuzzled the revealed neck, pressing kisses up to the pale ear before sticking out his tongue and running it along the shell of the ear. Gaara shivered, making Naruto smirk triumphantly. "You're gorgeous."

"And you'll be a mute if you don't put your tongue away and let me work."

Naruto pouted. "Gaara, you're such a tease," he whined as he let his arms drop.

"I'm not trying to be," Gaara muttered as he slipped a clean cover over the pillow.

Naruto sighed and moved to lean against the wall. Unlike yesterday Gaara had a set amount of work to do and if he didn't complete it then…Well, Naruto wasn't exactly sure _what_would happen but the blond was sure Jiraiya would think up something that would embarrass Gaara. The redhead wasn't willing to take the chance that it was an empty threat and had decided that there would be no 'playing' until he was finished. It was a logical if not infuriating decision. Naruto desperately wanted to caress that pale skin and kiss those very inviting lips. He was being forced to wait though and Naruto wasn't a very patient person at the best of times.

Of course, Naruto could have helped with the bed making to speed up the process. Unfortunately when he tried to help Gaara he got in the way and if he did one room while Gaara did the next he did it wrong meaning Gaara had to redo it. In the end both teens had decided that Naruto was being more of a nuisance than a help; it was best if Gaara worked alone.

As Naruto hung around being tempted he noticed something pink sticking out of one of his grandfather's drawers. His curiosity was perked and he moved to investigate. Carefully, the blond pulled the fluffy pink thing out of the drawer to see what it was. It turned out to be a pair of handcuffs surrounded by luminous pink fluff. Brief mental images of his grandmother handcuffed to the bed made Naruto shiver. Mental images of his grandfather being handcuffed to the bed made the blond doubly shiver. It just wasn't natural for old people to have sex, let alone kinky sex!

As Naruto continued to try and suppress his very twisted imagination, a very naughty idea appeared to him. A wide grin slowly spread across his face as he turned his gaze on Gaara's back.

Gaara suddenly froze in what he was doing. Something was wrong. It felt as if he was being watched. Well, he knew he was being watched (it was like Naruto's eyes were permanently glued to his ass when he wore the maid's outfit) but the gaze that was set upon him felt much more sinister than horny.

Before Gaara could turn around his arms were grabbed and pulled behind his back. There was a metallic click and Gaara found that he couldn't pull his wrists apart. Not wanting to have his back to the enemy, Gaara turned to come face-to-face with an evilly smirking Naruto.

"What did you do?" demanded Gaara.

Naruto's facial expression turned innocent. "Nothing Gaara." The grin returned full force. "Yet!"

With that Naruto swept Gaara off his feet before throwing him down onto the half-made bed. The redhead immediately began to squirm as Naruto's lips descended upon him from above. With his arms caught behind him he was unable to stop Naruto's advances with his hands. Head butting the blond was soon also proved to be ineffective as Naruto was able to dodge quite easily.

After a minute of useless thrashing about Gaara gave up. Naruto smirked triumphantly before engaging Gaara in a victory kiss. The redhead allowed the blond boy's tongue to press past his lips into his mouth; his eyes slipping closed with a soft groan as the two muscles met.

Naruto broke away, panting softly. He was still grinning as he said, "Let's make things more interesting."

Gaara was filled with instant dread at the blond teen's words. He kept his face as expressionless as possible though as Naruto reached into his pocket and pulled out a silk handkerchief. The blond reached down and tied the handkerchief around Gaara's eyes as a makeshift blindfold. The redhead immediately growled, "Take it off."

"Gaara! I never imagined you would be in such a hurry to get me naked!" exclaimed Naruto in fake shock.

Gaara growled a second time. "Take the blindfold off _now_."

"Why?" asked Naruto coyly, his fingers teasingly gliding down over an exposed arm.

"Because if you don't I'll break your fingers one by one for maximum pain infliction," the redhead threatened.

"That is a good reason," Naruto admitted in a false voice of thought. "But how are you going to carry out your threat when you're in handcuffs?"

So that was what was restraining Gaara's wrists. "You can't keep me tied up forever."

Naruto chuckled, his breath ghosting over Gaara's face. "That sounds like a challenge."

How Naruto would go about accepting this challenge will never be known as there was a horrified cry of, "Master Naruto!" from the doorway that effectively broke said teen's concentration.

Naruto's head snapped round to see that one of the maids was stood at the door looking scandalised. The first thing that came into Naruto's head as a blush rose up onto his cheeks was, "It's not what it looks like!" After that he was lost for an explanation. The maid didn't wait for one, she quickly ran off to presumably inform Jiraiya of his grandson's questionable activities. "Wait! Come back!" Naruto shouted after her retreating back.

The blond quickly got off the bed so that he could chase after her and hopefully stop her before she went and gave his grandfather any ideas. In his haste he managed to almost crush Gaara's leg. The redhead let out a small cry of pain, effectively catching Naruto's attention. The blond stopped, quickly coming to the decision that it was a better idea to remove all evidence of what happened than to try to catch up with the maid now.

Naruto moved back towards Gaara and removed the blindfold covering the redhead's eyes. The glare that met him was fierce and promised pain. Naruto smiled sheepishly and muttered an awkward, "Sorry."

Naruto had expected his apology to be met with enraged words or stony silence. He hadn't expected Gaara to grin maniacally and say, "You will be soon," before jumping up and putting him in an arm lock. Apparently while Naruto had been panicking about being caught Gaara had been picking the lock on the handcuffs. Said handcuffs were then slapped around Naruto's wrists. The blond winced as he was picked up and dropped unceremoniously on the floor. He then gulped fearfully as Gaara loomed over him, insane smile still firmly in place. The redhead kneeled down over him, waving the handkerchief Naruto had used earlier to blindfold him in front of the nervous blond. "Payback time," was all Gaara said before Naruto's world descended into darkness.

* * *

The maid found Jiraiya in the living room on his laptop. He looked up at her quizzically, his eyes lingering on her breasts for a little longer than she appreciated. "It's Master Naruto Sir; I just caught him molesting one of the maids in your room Sir."

"My room?" questioned Jiraiya, thinking it an odd place to go at it. He knew his room was a shrine to all things sexual but he would have thought Naruto would have been against doing it in a relative's room.

"Yes Sir."

Jiraiya paused in thought. How should handle this situation? Should he let the two go at it in peace? Or should he watch and get material for his new novel? He was sure Naruto would understand that he needed to write his perverted novels to keep a roof over their heads and keep the debt collectors off Tsunade's back. Jiraiya sighed internally as he remembered his wife and her terrible gambling skills. He wouldn't have to keep writing if she didn't keep making ridiculous bets and losing. Then again, he loved writing and he loved doing research. Which was why he was going to invade his grandson's privacy for the sake of an accurate and realistic novel.

Jiraiya smiled at the maid. "Don't worry; I'll sort him out."

He stood up and headed towards the stairs, only looking back to ogle her ass for a few seconds before ascending to the next floor. As he walked down the hallway Jiraiya heard what he thought was Naruto crying out in pain. Apparently he'd done something Gaara didn't like and the redhead was fighting back. Jiraiya grinned and sped up so that he could get there before the fun ended.

What Jiraiya saw when he looked through the door was not what he had been expecting. Naruto was handcuffed, blindfolded and on his knees. The poor boy seemed to be halfway between terrified and turned-on. Gaara meanwhile was playing the part of Naruto's master. He'd also been through Jiraiya's draw of kinky accessories and had found a riding crop. Said riding crop was currently tilting Naruto's chin up towards him so that he could give his blond captive a lecture.

One part of Jiraiya was happy that he had found concrete evidence that his plan was underway. Another part was confused as to the way things had turned out. He had thought that Naruto would be seme as the boy had such a dominant and confident nature. It had never occurred to him that Gaara might be more dominant than his grandson. Jiraiya wasn't sure now if all the aims of his scheme would now be achieved. Naruto was supposed to be seme and show Gaara that getting in trouble was bad. But if Gaara was the one with all the control then would he learn anything?

Gaara's seductive voice brought Jiraiya out of his reverie. "That little punishment was for standing on my leg. This next one is for not listening to me when I told you to take off the blindfold."

"Gaara! I said I was sorry!" said Naruto pleadingly before the next blow fell.

"You said you were sorry but I don't think you meant it," replied Gaara icily.

"I did, I really did mean it! Please untie me Gaara; I doubt you want Grandpa to find us like this anymore than I do."

Gaara pressed his lips together in silent contemplation. Naruto was right that this was definitely not a position they should be caught in. It was probably best if he untied Naruto and got back to work; he could always punish the blond later. "Fine. But you better keep your hands to yourself until you're told otherwise."

"I will, I will!"

Gaara moved behind Naruto to remove his restraints. He gave the blond boy a whack on the back of the head before doing so though – just to make sure he'd got his point across. Gaara then put the toys back where they were originally before finally returning to his work.

Naruto remained on the floor, a pout firmly set on his features. Gaara was being so mean to him – hitting him for just wanting to have a bit of fun with his boyfriend. Although, Naruto had to admit, being tied up by a hot guy in a maid's outfit had been kind of exciting. Maybe he'd let Gaara do that to him again without the blindfold; if he was going to be dominated he wanted to be able to see Gaara act all sexy and powerful.

Naruto's head tipped to the side slightly as he considered these thoughts. Maybe Gaara had a right to be angry with him; he had pushed him into a situation he wasn't necessarily comfortable with and then not stopped his ministrations when the redhead had asked him to. Perhaps he should apologize. Then they could have make-up sex and have everything back to normal! Naruto mentally slapped himself. There was no way in hell that that was going to happen. Gaara wouldn't agree to sex just like that. Well, not if he was in the mood he was in now. Maybe if he was horny he would. But not in a place where they could be discovered. Or when there was work to be done. Which really meant the two of them had a 0.1 chance of having make-up sex.

Naruto was brought back to reality by Jiraiya sticking his head round the door and saying, "One of the maids said there was something going on up here. Anything I should know about?"

"No," answered Naruto calmly.

"Good," said Jiraiya. Just before he left he added, "If you want to borrow any of my novels or videos just say; it would be my pleasure to help further your education."

Naruto's face turned red with both embarrassment and anger. "Get out of here you old perv!" he shouted at Jiraiya's cackling, retreating back. Naruto sighed in exasperation and sent Gaara a small, apologetic smile. The redhead ignored him and moved onto the next room. Naruto's smile immediately disappeared.

After a moment of quiet reflection, Naruto stood up and followed Gaara to the room next-door. Inside he hovered a reasonable distance from the redhead, waiting to be acknowledged. He wasn't.

For Naruto the tension in the room was forever growing as he stood immobile, waiting impatiently for Gaara to notice how he was not molesting him. The blond teen's hopes rose when Gaara turned around, finished with this particular room. Gaara's eyes flicked once towards Naruto before the redhead walked straight past him without speaking a word. Naruto's shoulders slumped. Gaara must be really mad at him.

Naruto once again tracked Gaara to another bedroom. The redhead's hands were busy with something when Naruto walked in and (seeing his chance) the blond moved in for the kill.

The feel of the body pressing up against him from behind and two arms wrapping securely around his middle made Gaara tense up. Naruto's head bend forward and his lips gently caressed the nape of Gaara's neck. It was slow and sensual – almost timid – and Gaara felt inclined to hear what Naruto had to say before pushing the blond away.

"I'm sorry," Naruto muttered softly.

Gaara had to admit that Naruto sounded sincere. He'd been forced into making apologies in the past to avoid sinking too deeply into trouble and he was now able to detect false apologies quite easily. Naruto didn't sound fake at all. He sounded truly regretful and it made Gaara properly consider forgiving him. Or maybe not. It would, after all, be amusing to see how Naruto would go about trying to redeem himself.

Naruto took the fact that Gaara wasn't hitting him as a good sign. However, he also took the fact that Gaara wasn't speaking to him as a bad sign. He sighed and pressed another kiss against the back of Gaara's neck. "What part of what I did pissed you off the most? Just tell me and I promise I'll never do it again. Just tell me how I can get you to forgive me and I'll do it. I'm hoping that it's something that involves sex and you covered in chocolate but something tells me that that isn't what you have in mind."

Gaara couldn't stop his lips twitching up in a smile. Naruto really did have a one-track mind. He was such an idiot; a big, stupid, perverted idiot – and Gaara couldn't help but forgive him. "Part of it was that you didn't listen to me when I told you to stop. I told you before that I don't like being used and it felt like you were using me."

"I'm sorry," Naruto muttered once again. "Next time I'll try harder to control myself. What's the other thing?"

Gaara was silent for a long time and for a moment Naruto was afraid that Gaara was going to turn around and say that his apology was not accepted. But then the redhead in his arms tensed further and seemed to curl in on himself. His voice was a bitter whisper as he said, "I don't like being kept in the dark."

Gaara really didn't know why he was confiding in Naruto. He should have learned his lesson by now. The emotional scars of his past were to this day a reminder of why he shouldn't trust anybody apart from himself. By revealing his fear to Naruto Gaara was leaving himself wide open for attack. Even if he did like the blond and his open attitude, Gaara was being reckless with his trust. He didn't think Naruto would hurt him if he let himself be vulnerable but he didn't know. Should he really take the risk with a boy he had known for only a few days? His common sense said no but his lonely heart said yes. His teenage hormones were demanding an explanation as to why they were both not yet naked and sweaty. Gaara was ignoring his hormones for the moment as he waited for Naruto's response.

"Oh."

Gaara broke away from Naruto's embrace and whirled around to glare at him. "That's all you can say? Oh?" he hissed angrily.

"What do you want me to say? Some mushy crap about being your light in the dark and forever protecting you from the darkness? I'll say it if you want but I thought that would be too cheesy for you and that you'd hit me for treating you like some damsel in distress that can't tie her own shoelaces. Sorry if I misinterpreted your personality up until now. If I have do tell me and we can call off the whole relationship thing because clearly it isn't working," said Naruto scathingly, angry that Gaara was turning on him like this.

Gaara growled lowly as his mind went into overdrive. Naruto was right that he probably would have hit him if he'd said something so clichéd and undermined the seriousness of his confession. But his alternate response had also incensed Gaara. Then again, what response _had_ Gaara been searching for? He didn't know the answer to that question so by all logic he shouldn't be mad at Naruto for giving the wrong answer because there was no wrong answer. By all logic he should apologize to Naruto for overreacting. But at this point Gaara was all for screwing logic as he _wanted_to be angry at Naruto, he _wanted_ to be able to blame the blond for inciting all these strange emotions in him that he didn't know how to deal with.

"You should be sorry for presuming you know me when really you know nothing at all," Gaara hissed irately.

"What!?" Naruto exploded. "You stuck up son of a bitch! How dare you say that?! I know enough about you to say, without a doubt, that you are the most arrogant, violent, egotistical, controlling, maddeningly anal bastard I have ever met!"

"You can talk; you're a horny perverted idiot who thinks only about sex and has the most ridiculous ideas. It's always about you and _your_desires. But what else should I expect from a rich kid who's always been handed everything on a silver platter."

"Now who's being presumptuous? You think just because my family have money and I'm not an emo bastard that my life is perfect? Well you're dead wrong! My parents are dead, I live with grandparents by right shouldn't be allowed to look after a kid as they are way too preoccupied with their 'research' and gambling addiction, I have absolutely no privacy, for a long time I was bullied at school and didn't have any friends – my life used to be a living hell and it's only recently that it's gotten better! What gives you the right to judge me?! You should look at the log in your own eye instead of the twig in mine! And another thing-!"

Naruto's rant was interrupted by Gaara throwing himself at the blond and toppling him over onto his back. The attack stunned Naruto and it took some time to recover his composure. The fact that Gaara was kissing him instead of trying to gouge out his eyeballs helped to prolong the rebooting process of his brain.

When Naruto had recovered his senses he tried to push Gaara away from him. They were supposed to be pissed off and arguing, not horny and kissing, so how the hell had they gotten into this position?! It didn't make sense and Naruto wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"What the hell do you think you're-" he demanded indignantly before he was cut off by Gaara who was staring at him with intense half-lidded eyes.

"You're really hot when you're angry," Gaara murmured lustfully before moving down for another bruising kiss.

Naruto was effectively lost for a moment. Gaara's perfectly white teeth were tugging imploringly on his bottom lip, begging desperately for entrance. Apparently he was through with working or arguing. Naruto could deal with that. The blond boy parted his lips and coaxed Gaara's tongue into his mouth. He then allowed his hands to travel sensually up pale arms and eventually become entangled in blood red hair.

Their lips parted when it became essential that they breathe. Gaara continued hovering above Naruto, his breath as warm on Naruto's face as his hand was on the blond teen's chest underneath his shirt. One of Naruto's hands was still caught in Gaara's hair while the other had migrated south to the redhead's hip in an attempt to force more contact between the two teens.

It was Gaara who broke the silence. "First of all – I am not emo," he stated seriously, lust still permeating his gaze. "Second of all – you're also a bastard. Third of all-"

"This isn't going to be a list of all my faults is it?" asked Naruto in slight exasperation.

"Third of all…you're right that I shouldn't judge you. I don't know you well enough to judge you yet. I'm sure my assessment of you will prove true in time though."

"Was that an apology or an insult?" Naruto asked, confused.

"It was a promise," replied Gaara, leaning back in to nip at Naruto's neck.

"A promise?" repeated Naruto, still utterly confused.

"A promise that I'll stick around to find out if you really are all the things I said you are. Idiot," added Gaara as an afterthought.

A smile slowly spread across Naruto's face as he realized exactly what Gaara was trying to tell him. "You cryptic bastard; why couldn't you have just said it like that in the first place?"

"Because if you were smart you would have understood what I was saying," Gaara said as a small smirk formed on his lips.

"Hey!" Naruto cried in mock outrage, tugging playfully at Gaara's hair.

Gaara winced as Naruto pulled slightly harder than he meant to but let the action pass. Naruto was grinning wildly at him and it was making the redhead feel something that resembled happiness. Happiness wasn't a common emotion in Gaara's life and so he was rather surprised that something as simple as a smile could fill him to the brim with such joy. Naruto truly was an amazing person.

It was at that point in time that Naruto's stomach began to rumble. His grin widened as he said, "Maybe we should go down and see why dinner's taking so long."

Gaara nodded in agreement and carefully climbed off of Naruto. He held out a hand to help the blond to his feet, eliciting another heart-fluttering smile from said blond. Together they then set off down towards the kitchens, a sense of unity and balance restored between the two teens who were so very different and yet so very alike. Little did they know what horrors awaited them on the horizon of another day.

* * *

Slightly wierd ending but oh well. I've sort of plotted out the next chapter already so I'll probably have it done in a few weeks. I'm thinking it may be the second-to-last chapter if I go with what I've planned out. There is a possibility of a sequel but it really depends on how I end the story. TTFN. 


	4. Chapter 4

I was thinking originally that I'd make this chapter exceedingly long but decided against it as this is already the longest chapter so far. I also want to see people's reactions before going any further. I had thought that this might be the last chapter but I've kinda given myself enough material that if people demand it the story can be continued. So tell me whether you want more or if this is enough.As ever, your comments are much appreciated.

And before I forget, many people commented that Gaara was being seme when I'd said it was NaruGaa. This is because Naruto was supposed to be seme but I made Gaara's character too forceful so he kept usurping power. Naruto gets more power this chapter but whether he'll keep that power is a total mystery. I hope you enjoy watching him fight for it though!

* * *

**Chapter 4**

It was around ten in the morning that Jiraiya received the call. He smiled lazily at the sound of the man's voice at the other end of the line. "Itachi, how are you?"

"Very well thank you," came the courteous reply from Uchiha Itachi, current president of the Uchiha Corporation.

"Good, good. So, what can I do for you this fine morning?"

"I just thought I'd phone to see if you'd remembered that you were hosting the dinner for Konoha's elite tonight. I know such unimportant matters have a tendency to slip your very busy mind."

"Don't be silly Itachi; of course I remembered that the dinner was tonight!" Jiraiya cried jovially to mask the dread he felt. He _had_ forgotten that he was playing host that night to the most important people in the city. If he was going to cover up this slip he'd have to get off the phone right away and start organising everything. The cooks were going to hate him for this.

Itachi smirked on the other end of the line. "I'll see you tonight then Jiraiya," he said before hanging up.

Jiraiya immediately sprang into action. He called for his butler and rattled off a list of everything that needed to be done. The man quickly assured his agitated employer that he'd handle this and suggested that Jiraiya make sure he had something to wear for the dinner. Jiraiya heeded the advice, rushing to find his favourite suit. Upon searching through his closet he soon realized that all of his suits were missing. He vaguely recalled Tsunade saying something about having his and Naruto's suits being taken to the Drycleaners. Jiraiya breathed a sigh of relief before realising that there were at least eight different drycleaners spread across the city and he didn't know which one Tsunade had gone to. With a groan of despair Jiraiya called his driver to get ready and set off on a mission to find the lost laundry.

* * *

Compared to his grandfather Naruto was having a very non-stressful day at Konoha Boys' High. It was currently morning registration and Naruto was enjoying talking with his friends about anything and everything. 

"So Naruto, have you ravished your new maid yet?" asked Kiba, a lecherous grin tugging at his lips.

"No, I have more control over my lust than you Kiba," replied Naruto flippantly.

"You're just scared of losing your precious virginity," Kiba retorted, still grinning.

"I am not scared! I'm not scared of anything! Except perhaps ghosts." The rest of the group chuckled at Naruto's last comment. "Besides, I'm not sure that he's the type to go all the way straight off the bat. He has trust issues."

"So how far _have_ you gone?" questioned Chouji before he shoved another handful of crisps into his mouth.

"We've had a few make-out sessions but nothing more," said Naruto with a shrug, deciding it best to leave out the bondage incident the night before.

"You disappoint me Naruto; if a hot guy in a sexy costume liked me I'd do a lot more than kiss him," Kiba said as he leaned back on his chair, tipping it so that it was on two legs.

"Should you really be saying things like that when your boyfriend is sitting right next to you?" asked Sasuke, a small, superior, smirk on his lips.

"Shino knows I would never cheat on him," Kiba said reassuringly.

"If I deprived you of sex then I'm pretty sure you would," Shino announced quietly, his expression hidden by his dark glasses and the scarf that covered his mouth.

Kiba hurriedly righted his chair and leaned over towards Shino, mumbling assurances that he would never cheat or hurt him. The rest of the group decided to tune the two of them out before they started showing any public signs of affection.

"So Dobe, are we going to meet your boy toy tonight at the party?" asked Sasuke casually.

"Party?" Naruto repeated, confused.

"The one your grandfather is hosting tonight for Konoha's elite."

Naruto blinked. "Grandpa never said anything about a party. He must have forgotten about it again. Maybe I should call and remind him?"

It was at that moment that Kakashi walked into the room. "Everyone to their seats; time for morning registration," he said lazily as he slid into his chair.

Naruto stopped reaching for his mobile phone. He couldn't make the call now as his phone was supposed to be switched off during school hours. One of the staff had probably reminded Jiraiya about the party anyway. Naruto grinned at the thought of the old perv panicking and rushing around madly to get everything ready. Like his grandfather, Naruto never once gave a thought to a certain redhead who knew nothing about the party.

* * *

When Naruto arrived home he was met immediately by one of the maids who sent him up to his room to change. He did so obediently, coming down when he was finished to inevitably be told that his hair was a mess. He was then ushered back up to his room so that the maid could try and style his hair into something that looked proper. It was honestly a waste of time as Naruto's hair was naturally spiky. No matter how much gel you put on it, it never stayed flat for long. 

While Naruto tried to persuade the woman to give up on a lost cause Gaara arrived. Nobody noticed him as they were all too busy making last minute preparations. For a minute Gaara contemplated using this distraction to his advantage. He could easily sneak upstairs and spend time with Naruto while not wearing the dress. However, Gaara was sure that whatever was causing such a fuss wouldn't last long and then Jiraiya would hunt him down so that he could continue torturing Gaara.

As much as Gaara hated the idea of willingly putting on a dress, he thought that perhaps he would get Brownie points for not causing a fuss. Hopefully Jiraiya would see that he was obediently bowing down to his authority and would cut Gaara some slack. That way Gaara could maximise his time spent doing enjoyable activities with Naruto.

A small smile tugged at Gaara's lips as he thought of the blond. He'd never met anyone like Naruto who had such honest eyes. He was the first person in a long time that Gaara felt he could trust. He was also the first person Gaara had ever been attracted to on more than a physical level. Even though Naruto was a blatant pervert he was also open and kind and funny and Gaara always smiled a hell of a lot more around him than he did when he was with anyone else.

Breaking out of his revere, Gaara headed for the closet under the stairs. This was the place where Jiraiya had said he would keep the maid costume and, sure enough, when Gaara opened the door the box which held the dreaded dress was the first thing his eyes landed on. With a sigh of resignation he picked up the box and moved to the bathroom to change.

Once he was changed Gaara folded up his school uniform, placed it inside the box, and shoved the box into the far corner of the bathroom. He then left the bathroom and made to head up to Naruto's room. His plan was foiled when a flustered looking man grabbed hold of his arm and began dragging him away from the stairs. "What do you think you're doing just standing there being idle? We all have work to do before the guests arrive; nobody is allowed to slack off!"

Gaara was stunned for a moment so offered no resistance. When he had processed the information being presented to him he said, "I don't actually work here."

"Don't be stupid girl; of course you work here! You're wearing the uniform after all."

Gaara bristled. He knew he was wearing a dress but that still didn't mean he should have been mistaken for a girl. His features weren't feminine – they were masculine! Although it probably didn't help that his hair was slightly on the long side and he used eyeliner to make his green eyes stand out and look sinister. But still, he shouldn't have been mistaken for a girl!

Gaara was about to correct the man's mistake when the doorbell rang. The man stopped and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Damn it they're early," he hissed. He then turned to Gaara and propelled him back towards the entrance hall. "Go bring the guests to the ballroom and remember to be polite!"

"Where's the ballroom?" asked Gaara as he internally marvelled that Naruto's house was big enough to have its own ballroom. He'd have to ask later if the blond had a pool as well.

"It's the big room at the back of the house!" the man yelled, stress and frustration getting the better of him.

Gaara gave him a glare that would have had most men fleeing in terror. The man didn't see it though as he was already rushing elsewhere. Therefore, with a sigh of resignation, Gaara headed to the front door, praying silently that he didn't get lost in the giant house and embarrass himself in front of the guests.

There was a second (impatient) ringing of the doorbell just before Gaara opened the door. Gaara looked out and saw that there were two guests. Both men had slightly long dark hair and obsidian eyes. They were of a similar height but one looked to be at least five years older than the other. Both had stony expressions that hinted at their impatience.

After taking this all in and appreciating that both were pleasant on the eye, Gaara remembered that he was supposed to be polite. He tried to smile but gave up quickly. Instead he stepped back so that they could enter, before closing the door and saying, "Right this way gentlemen."

Something flickered in the younger guest's eyes. Gaara wondered for a second if it was recognition. As he led them in the direction he thought the ballroom was, Gaara tried to place the face but found that he couldn't. Perhaps then it was surprise that he had seen in the teen's eyes? Surprise that his voice was clearly male and yet he was dressed as a female French maid? Gaara smirked slightly at that. At least _someone_could tell that he wasn't a girl.

Much to Gaara's relief he was able to find the ballroom without too much hassle. He gestured for the two to enter the well lit, spacious room so that he would be free of his duties and could go find Naruto. Neither made a move though. "Looks like we're early," commented the eldest.

The younger nodded before turning to Gaara. "What's your name?"

"Gaara," replied the redhead politely but impassively.

The teen smirked. "My name's Uchiha Sasuke; it's a pleasure to meet you Gaara," he said as he took hold of Gaara's hand and kissed his knuckles.

Gaara bristled once again. So Sasuke did think he was a girl after all. The redhead contemplated breaking Sasuke's nose to wipe that superior smirk off his face but stopped when a familiar face appeared.

Naruto was grinning wildly as he approached the group standing outside the ballroom entrance. He was dressed in a black suit that (in Gaara's eyes) made him look very debonair. His hair was still spiky but looked a lot glossier from all the gel that had been applied in a failed attempt to flatten the blond locks. "Sasuke, you're here early," Naruto said before his eyes landed on Gaara. His grinning face became bemused as he stared at the redhead. "What are you doing here Gaara? I would have thought Grandpa would have given you the night off because of the party."

"I received no notification that I wasn't to come," Gaara said icily.

Naruto frowned. "Really? I know he likes embarrassing people but I wouldn't have thought he'd do it in front of such a big crowd."

"I'm afraid Jiraiya only this morning remembered that he was hosting the dinner tonight," Itachi's infinitely cool voice cut in. "In his haste to prepare everything it must have slipped his mind."

Naruto nodded in agreement. He grinned at Gaara and said, "Just wait here with Sasuke while I go talk to Grandpa. I'm sure he'll give you the night off and then you can get out of here before any more guests arrive."

At that moment the doorbell rang. Naruto sprinted away before Gaara could demand that Naruto take him with him. He wasn't too keen on being alone with Sasuke, who was still eyeing him as if he was a defenceless little kitten that he could easily take advantage of.

Gaara looked about for an excuse to escape. He noticed the man from earlier who was currently indicating that he should come over. "Excuse me," he said politely before hurriedly retreating.

The man still looked stressed as he handed Gaara two trays of drinks. "The tray on your left has alcoholic drinks and shouldn't be served to minors. The tray on your right has non-alcoholic drinks. Once they're all gone come back for another tray."

With that Gaara was forced to return to the Uchihas' side. They had migrated from the door into the centre of the ballroom by this point. Gaara guessed that Sasuke was his age and offered the non-alcoholic drinks to him and the alcoholic drinks to the man Gaara guessed to be Sasuke's brother as he was much too young to be the teen's father.

Once the Uchihas were served Gaara moved over to the newly arrived guests. They were a mixture of adults and teenagers about Gaara's age. The redhead recognized one or two famous names but the majority he had never seen before. The adults all took the wine he offered them whilst ignoring Gaara entirely. The teenagers, however, all looked at him curiously. Some of them smirked at him in the same manner as the Uchiha as they took their drinks. It made Gaara feel like he was missing something. It also made him wonder what the hell was taking Naruto so long to find Jiraiya. Sasuke was approaching and it looked like he wanted more than just another drink.

* * *

Naruto rapped hard on Jiraiya's door. "Old Perv you better be dressed because I'm coming in!" Naruto yelled before he opened the door. 

Jiraiya glanced at Naruto before continuing to do up his tie. "What do you want Naruto?"

"I just wanted to know if you intentionally didn't tell Gaara about the party."

Jiraiya's hands stilled. "Shit, I knew there was something I'd forgotten."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Shall I tell him that he can go home then?"

"Yes. Come on, let's do it before all the guests arrive." _And my ingenious plan is ruined because somebody else decides to claim the redhead, _added Jiraiya silently. _Although that may make Naruto jealous and then he'd try harder to gain Gaara's affection. Or he'd just punch out the other guy's lights and embarrass me in front of all these people._

Jiraiya shook his head and quickly followed Naruto to the ballroom. On entrance he was grabbed by one of the guests who started up a monologue that looked like it may take some time to complete. Jiraiya's gaze darted over to Naruto, hoping that the boy hadn't also been grabbed. No such luck, one of Naruto's friends had caught him only a few feet away. Jiraiya internally sighed. Hopefully nothing bad would happen until the end of the man's monologue.

* * *

A hand on his arm stopped Naruto's search for Gaara. "Not now Shikamaru I'm busy." 

The other teen released Naruto and folded his arms over his chest. "I just wanted to tell you that I saw your boyfriend. I can see why you like him," he said, a lazy smirk making its way onto his face.

Naruto was astounded. "You were actually awake when I was talking about him in registration?"

"It's less troublesome pretending to sleep," Shikamaru replied coolly. "By the way I'm not the only person who's seen him serving drinks. You've got a few rivals Naruto; Sasuke and Neji in the year above especially."

Naruto's eyes widened and his determination to get Gaara out of there increased ten-fold. "Do you know where Gaara is now?"

Shikamaru shrugged so Naruto left his side to continue his search. He weaved his way through the crowd, returning all the greetings that were sent his way before hurriedly moving on. Eventually Naruto spotted the redhead and when he did his insides clenched as he remembered Shikamaru's words. _You've got a few rivals Naruto._

* * *

Gaara's attention was so focused on Sasuke that he never noticed another teenager sidle up next to him. "Hello there." Gaara jumped, nearly dropping the trays he was still holding. He spun around, an angry glare aimed at the person who had surprised him. The teenager smirked at him, his strange colourless eyes scanning Gaara's profile. "My name is Hyuuga Neji. And you are?" 

"Gaara," was the redhead's curt reply.

"Gaara," Neji repeated, trying out the name. "I was wondering, Gaara, if you'd like to dance with me?"

"Sorry but I have a job to do," Gaara replied as politely as he could.

Gaara tried to back away slowly but was impeded by something solid. Before he could turn around a pair of arms were wrapped around his waist, effectively trapping him. "Won't your uncle be upset if he sees you dancing with a pretty boy Hyuuga?"

Gaara froze at the sound of that voice. It was Sasuke who had trapped him. The other boy's breath ghosted over Gaara's ear as he goaded his rival, who was giving Sasuke an evil glare. Gaara was now effectively stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Perhaps. Won't it upset your brother to see you with one of the staff?"

"Itachi doesn't really care who I chase as long as I don't start a scandal."

A glaring contest was then initiated between the two. Gaara was caught in the middle of it all and he really wished he wasn't. Sasuke's body was pressed right up against his; the Uchiha's hands were starting to gravitate south of his stomach.

"Let go of me," Gaara hissed in warning.

Sasuke's mouth was pressed against Gaara's ear as he whispered, "Don't you want me to protect you from Hyuuga?"

"I can look after myself so let me go or else," Gaara hissed again, his temper flaring. He didn't like people touching him without permission or taking advantage of him. Sasuke was clearly doing both and if he didn't stop right away Gaara was going to give it to him, consequences be damned.

"No, I don't think I will," was Sasuke's reply.

Gaara's reply was to drop the trays he was carrying in order to elbow Sasuke's side. Sasuke's grip loosened and Gaara was able to wriggle out of the hold. Gaara then spun around and punched Sasuke in the stomach before delivering an upper cut to the Uchiha's jaw. Sasuke had bent double when he had received the blow to the stomach, the blow to his jaw made him fall backwards onto the floor. His hand was held against his jaw and he appeared to be in pain.

Gaara backed away from the scene, well aware that all eyes were on him. Thankfully, before one of the other servers could come reprimand him, Naruto appeared. Gaara couldn't remember a time when he had been so glad to see that mop of bright blond hair.

Naruto was immediately next to him, asking Gaara if he was alright. Gaara replied that he was and a look of relief spread across Naruto's face. Naruto then led Gaara towards the exit and Gaara became even more grateful to the blond because he was getting Gaara out of the stupid maid's outfit.

Unfortunately for Gaara the way was suddenly blocked by a busty blond woman who was a vision of fury. "Jiraiya get over here right now!" she screeched, instantly gaining everyone's attention.

Jiraiya, a wave of dread crashing over him, approached his wife apprehensively. "Tsunade, darling, what are you doing here? I thought you were on a cruise."

"That's right, I _was_ on a cruise until Naruto called me and said you were up to your old tricks. What the hell have you done this time? Opened a strip club in the basement? Got a girl pregnant? Killed someone? Ordered a Russian bride? Well, which is it?!"

Naruto had been right, Jiraiya was cowering in the face of Tsunade's wrath and it was greatly amusing to Gaara. The only problem was that now he was going to announce what he had done in front of all these people and utterly humiliate Gaara.

"Tsunade, perhaps we should take this outside," Jiraiya suggested gently.

"No, we are not taking this outside!" Tsunade shrieked. She then rounded on Naruto who visibly stiffened. "Tell me now Naruto, what the hell did he do that was so dreadful it couldn't wait until my vacation was finished?!"

Naruto gulped quietly before saying, "Err, perhaps you should have a drink first Granny."

The servers responded quickly to Naruto's idea. Tsunade quickly downed the first glass of wine offered to her. The second she took more slowly but was onto her third as she was led into the sitting room.

Once she was sat down, and had a whole bottle of vodka clutched gently in one hand, Tsunade reinitiated the interrogation in a slightly saner manner. "Come on Naruto, tell me what he's done so we can get this over with and I can go assure the guests that I am not a total psychopath."

Naruto pushed Gaara forward and said, "He did this to Gaara."

Tsunade looked Gaara over for a moment and initially could find nothing wrong with him. Then her eyes widened and she asked incredulously, "Is that a _boy_?"

"I was teaching him humility!" Jiraiya cried in his defence.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "By forcing him to cross-dress?"

"We also think it was another one of his crazy schemes to get me to have sex," Naruto added.

Tsunade sighed in weary exasperation. "Why the hell did I marry you?"

"The money and the sex," was Jiraiya's easy answer.

"Oh yeah."

Naruto tried to block out the unwanted mental images of his grandparents doing anything remotely sexual. Gaara meanwhile was trying hard not to look too eager to get out of the dress in case this very volatile woman decided that it would be much more amusing to keep him in it.

Tsunade took a swig of her vodka. "So tell us Jiraiya – apart from trying to teach him humility – why else did you make this poor boy cross dress?"

"He's a juvenile delinquent whose actions were sending him straight to young offenders' prison. Sarutobi asked me to find a way to get him to change his ways because he believed Gaara was a good kid. So I came up with this plan to get Gaara to change his ways for Naruto, his new boyfriend. The dress was to get Naruto to notice Gaara and the cleaning the house was an added bonus! I was only going to punish Gaara for a week and then I was going to let him go free. I swear that I had the best of intentions!"

There was a collective disbelieving snort. Nobody present believed that Jiraiya would have gone through with his scheme unless it benefited him in some way. Jiraiya frowned at this but decided to let it pass.

"So this is your foolproof plan Jiraiya?" asked an old man from the entrance to the living room.

Jiraiya turned to the man. "Sarutobi!" he cried in surprise.

The old man chuckled. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I thought I had seen young Gaara with you and wanted to make sure. Now that I see I was correct I have to commend you Jiraiya on your creativity. However, I think your plan has failed as a model citizen should not attack their peers."

"He molested me," Gaara growled defensively.

"And you couldn't think of a way to handle him besides using your fists?" Sarutobi queried.

Gaara was silent. The answer to the judge's question was no, he didn't know a better way to handle the situation. Violence had worked on every other occasion and he had already tried and failed to verbally convince Sasuke to let him go. That left him with only one option – his fist.

Sarutobi sighed. "If the Uchihas decide to press charges then I'm afraid the only option left is a young offender's institute."

"No!" Naruto cried desperately, latching onto Gaara possessively. "You can't send him to prison, I won't let you!"

"Naruto stop being a drama queen – that's Tsunade's job."

A nearby paperweight was aimed at Jiraiya's head by his irate wife. It missed, smashing into a wall instead. Tsunade continued glaring at her husband for a moment before turning to her grandson. "I'm sure they won't press charges Naruto since it was partially Sasuke's fault. Still, your little friend is going to have to be careful how he behaves in future. But for now he needs to change into boys' clothes."

"But-" Jiraiya tried to interject.

"No buts!" shouted Tsunade, her temper flaring. "Your reforming punishment, apart from breaking many ethical rules, clearly hasn't worked so he will change back into his own clothes. Besides, it's depressing to see such nice legs on someone who clearly doesn't appreciate them."

Gaara's cheeks flushed from a mixture of anger and embarrassment. Gaara had lost count of the number of people who that night had made some reference to him being a girl. He felt utterly humiliated and wished there was something valuable nearby for him to break. Thankfully Naruto dragged him out of the room before he found anything.

Naruto waited outside the bathroom while Gaara changed back into his school uniform. When he came out Naruto sent him a small, apologetic smile. "I'm sorry my family is so weird."

"Mine's no better," Gaara replied evenly.

Naruto sighed and pushed himself off the wall, slowly making his way over to Gaara. He carefully slid his arms around the slim waist, pulling the other teen close to him. Gaara allowed him this, was more than happy to let the blond kiss him sweetly. He slipped his own arms around Naruto's waist, smiling slightly as Naruto squeezed gently.

"Do you think I should go back to hear my fate?" asked Gaara quietly in between kisses.

"I think we should give them a bit longer to discuss it," Naruto said as he moved his lips down to Gaara's neck.

Gaara gasped lightly as Naruto nipped at his sensitive skin. He tipped his head to the side, giving his permission for Naruto to continue. Naruto tugged at the collar of Gaara's shirt before fiddling with the buttons. Gaara's shirt opened enough to reveal the redhead's collarbone. Naruto proceeded to nip at the newly revealed flesh, taking great pleasure in the mewls of delight he elicited.

For once Gaara wasn't worried about being taken advantage of. It wasn't just the fact that whatever Naruto was doing felt really good – although that was a big part of it – he also felt inclined to reward Naruto for helping him to get out of the dress. The blond had also seemed genuinely distressed by the idea of him going to prison. It made Gaara wonder if there was more than just lust between them.

It was at that point someone released a rather loud wolf whistle. Naruto turned and glared at Kiba who was grinning widely at him. He gave Naruto the thumbs up as he said, "Very nice Naruto; I guess you had the same idea as us – get away from the prying eyes of parents to get a little loving." Besides him Shino slapped a hand to his forehead in exasperation. "Oh, speaking of parents, your grandparents are looking for you Naruto."

Naruto sighed. "Come on Gaara let's go," he said as he entwined his hand with the redhead's.

The two headed back to the living room together. As they passed Kiba whispered, "Nice legs," to Gaara.

Gaara smirked. "Nice bruise."

"What bruise?" Kiba asked before Shino hit him to show his displeasure. "I was only joking!" he cried defensively.

Thankfully Gaara and Naruto were out of earshot before an argument got underway. Inside the living room Jiraiya, Sarutobi and Tsunade were all seated quietly. Half the contents of Tsunade's vodka bottle were gone.

Gaara and Naruto stood in front of the three adults like prisoners waiting to hear the court's decision, their fingers interlinked for support.

Sarutobi was the one to deliver the verdict. "Gaara, after talking with my associates we have decided that you will no longer be working here after school. However, your punishment is not over. You still have at least another twenty four hours of community service left to serve. At the moment I know of no community projects that you can be put in for but I will send you an official letter when I do.

"As for your relationship with this fine young man, his grandparents have said they will allow you to court him as long as you remain out of trouble. Does that sound fair?"

As long as he didn't have to do the community service in a dress then it sounded great to Gaara. "Yes…sir," he added for good measure.

Sarutobi smiled. "Well in that case I think I will return to the festivities. Goodbye for now Gaara."

As the old judge left Jiraiya and Tsunade also got to their feet. "We better be getting back too Naruto," said Jiraiya seriously. "You're welcome to stay for dinner Gaara since Tsunade arriving has already screwed up the seating plan, but if you feel you want to go home we'll understand."

Gaara considered his options. It was true that he had just been humiliated at the party and when he walked into the room everyone would give him disapproving looks that would make him feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, he was sure whatever was being served for dinner was better than his sister's cooking. In addition, if he went home he wouldn't be able to spend any more time with Naruto and he'd have to start working on his neglected homework.

"I'd love to stay for dinner," Gaara answered politely.

Jiraiya smiled. "In that case I'll go tell the maid to set an extra two places. Oh, and no hard feelings right? You know I was making you look kinky with the best of intentions right?"

Gaara glared at him. He wasn't forgiven in the slightest for humiliating Gaara. If Gaara had known a way to return the humiliation he would have done it with glee. But the man was Naruto's grandfather and Gaara was loath to do anything to him that might ruin his relationship with Naruto, so Gaara was forced to continue civilly alongside him. He wasn't happy about this in the slightest though.

Jiraiya received Gaara's message loud and clear. Instead of pressing the subject he wisely retreated to the dining room to find a maid. Tsunade left as well, giving the boys a knowing wink.

Naruto turned to Gaara with a smile. "It's going to be weird not seeing you after school every day but I guess we can always hang out on weekends. And we've got the whole of tonight to enjoy before you have to go."

Gaara nodded before pressing a kiss against Naruto's lips. Naruto's smile widened and he gladly kissed back, his hand raising to caresses Gaara's cheek. They kept it short though as they both knew they were expected to return to the ballroom soon.

"Would you like for me to introduce you to the guests as my friend or boyfriend?" Naruto asked as they headed for the hall.

"Do you want them to know that you're dating someone who's poor, cross-dresses and beats up stuck up pricks that deserve it?" Gaara asked curiously.

"I don't care what those stiffs think," Naruto answered flippantly. "But if you're feeling self-conscious about your uniform you could always change into one of my suits; I'm sure I've got one somewhere that will fit." Gaara considered this before consenting. "If we're quick I'm sure Granny won't miss us and maybe while we're up there we can get in a little 'alone time'," Naruto said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively as he lead them back towards the stairs.

Gaara couldn't stop a smile slipping onto his lips. Things were once again about to change in his life. After school he would return to his old routine of homework and avoiding his family, and his weekends were now going to be predominately spent in Naruto's company. Where the time to do his community service would come in he wasn't sure but he had a bad feeling it would infringe upon his time with Naruto. Gaara also had a bad feeling that he hadn't seen the last of Sasuke Uchiha.

Gaara wasn't one hundred percent sure about any of these things though because he couldn't see the future. The thing he was one hundred percent positive about though was that Naruto was, and always would be, a pervert.

* * *

Anyone else think that last line sounds like something from 'A Little Princess'? 

Anyway, Please Review!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It was several minutes later that Naruto and Gaara returned to the party, Gaara now dressed in one of Naruto's suits. It was slightly large on him but such a fact was only noticeable if one looked very closely. The majority of the older guests were not interested in doing so and only gave Gaara a cursory glance as he hovered behind Naruto while the blond teen greeted them. The younger guests, however, were fascinated by Gaara. When Naruto introduced him to his school friends they all gave him a knowing look and said, "I think I preferred you in the dress."

At this point Naruto forced a laugh and hit his friend much harder than a playful punch should be. Gaara merely glared and silently wished them all a very painful death.

The redhead was then introduced to a girl with long blonde hair and another with short black hair. The blonde squealed when Naruto said that Gaara was his boyfriend and asked if they'd be willing to give her pictures. The raven girl with the strange eyes on the other hand looked devastated by the news. From the way she looked at Naruto Gaara guessed she had a crush on him. It gave Gaara a twisted pleasure to see her pain. He was promptly punished for these unkind thoughts when the blonde girl (Ino) latched onto his arm and tried to convince him that it was a good idea to give her pictures of him making-out with his boyfriend. Gaara quickly shook her off and retreated, praying that he hadn't been infected with her stupidity.

Thankfully it was soon after this that dinner was announced. The guests migrated to the dinning hall that was much fancier than Gaara had ever seen it. Apparently Jiraiya didn't think he was someone worthy of impressing. Gaara didn't care as long as he wasn't seated next to a psychopath or Yaoi fangirl.

It turned out that he had been placed in-between Naruto and Shino, one of the boys he had seen sneaking off earlier. Gaara was relieved to discover that Shino was quiet but when he did make Smalltalk he actually started conversations that Gaara was interested in listening to. It was during one of these conversations that Naruto became bored and turned to his other neighbour, who happened to be Sasuke. Since Gaara was so engrossed in what he was doing Naruto felt safe discussing Sasuke's earlier actions.

"Did Gaara bruise your ego as well as your face?" Naruto enquired quietly of the teen who was chewing carefully due to his still sore jaw.

"It was a lucky punch," Sasuke muttered ruefully.

"It serves you right for trying to molest him. By the way, why did you try and make a move on him?"

"I was just trying to see if he would do it. I thought I'd make sure the guy wasn't some slut who would break your heart at the first possible chance," Sasuke mumbled, staring at his food instead of his friend.

Naruto didn't believe it for a minute. He'd known Sasuke for years and he knew that the Uchiha rarely did anything to help another person. When he _did_ do something it was usually because it benefited him in some way. Then again, perhaps Sasuke _had _been chatting up Gaara to test his faithfulness, but the raven wouldn't have revealed what he was doing until _after_ he had slept with Gaara. Either way, Naruto was less than pleased with his supposed best friend and made a mental note to keep Gaara away from Sasuke.

Dinner was a long affair with three courses that made even Chouji feel full. When all the dishes had been cleared away the guests were allowed to either remain in their seats or return to the ballroom. Gaara had thought that he'd stay where he was and continue talking to Shino but then Shino's boyfriend arrived. Kiba kept butting into the conversation or arguing with Naruto over their heads in a very annoying fashion. Gaara decided it would be better to leave before he reached his limit and punched the annoying boy.

Naruto offered Gaara his arm and the redhead took it. Together they wandered away from Kiba's catcalls and Sasuke's penetrating stare. They reached the hallway and Naruto leaned in towards Gaara's ear. "You know, I'm sure nobody would notice if we went up to my room," Naruto whispered suggestively.

Gaara's lips twitched up into a smile. "I'm sure they wouldn't," he agreed.

Naruto grinned lecherously but before he could steal Gaara away to his room a guest stepped in front of them, smiling pointedly at Gaara. "Hello young man. My name is Ebisu, editor of Paradise Magazine, and I was wondering if you'd ever considered a career in modelling?"

The answer to that question was no, Gaara had never considered a career in modelling. Before he could say this though, Naruto jumped in and answered for him. "There is no way he is going to be a model for your magazine," Naruto all but hissed at the man in sunglasses.

Ebisu glared at Naruto before turning his sickly sweet smile on Gaara. "You can make a lot of money modelling. You could save up for collage or buy a new i-pod after every shoot – that's how much we're willing to pay for someone as stunning as you."

Gaara was genuinely flattered (if not slightly creeped out) by the fact that this man considered him stunning. Gaara had never considered himself as handsome and nobody apart from Naruto had ever so openly complimented him. If he was going to get such an ego boost every time he had a picture taken for this magazine then perhaps it would be a good idea to get signed up.

The money was also a good incentive. His father was reluctant to waste money on him so Gaara only ever got new things at Christmas or when his clothes no longer fit. Occasionally he got presents on his birthday but they were never from his father seeing as to him it was a day of mourning instead of celebration.

Before Gaara could accept the man's offer Naruto butted in once again. "Gaara is not going to work for your magazine so go find someone else to bother."

Gaara's eyes narrowed slightly. "I can answer for myself Naruto."

While Naruto turned to look at him in surprise Ebisu's grin grew. "Exactly! He can make his own decisions without a spoilt brat like you butting in."

Ebisu put an arm around Gaara and tried to steer him away from Naruto. Said blond was turning red in the face as he asked, "Are you going to tell him he's going to be modelling gay porn before or after he signs the contract?"

Gaara immediately froze at Naruto's words. Ebisu threw a glare at Naruto before trying to console Gaara. "Ignore him; our magazine is not pornographic in the least."

"They're going to put you back in a French maid's outfit."

That one sentence was enough to convince Gaara. The redhead removed the arm around his shoulders, politely saying, "I'm afraid I'll have to decline your offer."

Ebisu floundered. "But you've worn a dress before, why can't you do it again?"

"Because I was forced into doing it the first time," said Gaara coldly. "Now if you'll excuse me…"

Gaara bypassed the man as he made his way towards the stairs. Naruto stuck out his tongue gloatingly at Ebisu before following Gaara. Ebisu pouted as he finally admitted defeat and returned to the party.

Once safely upstairs in Naruto's room, Gaara turned to his boyfriend and asked, "Is that magazine really comprised of gay porn?"

"Well not porn exactly; but they probably would have had you put on a dress. I've got a copy of one of their issues somewhere around here if you want to see."

After a quick search Naruto produced a magazine with a topless man on the front cover. Gaara stared at the man's bulging muscles for a few seconds before accepting the magazine. As he flicked through he knew he had made the right decision. The magazine was full of men doing sensual poses, some in very questionable outfits. It wasn't porn but it would have been very embarrassing if anyone Gaara knew had seen him doing a similar pose.

Gaara handed the magazine back to Naruto. The blond teen was looking at him expectantly. Gaara sighed. "Why do people keep trying to put me into these situations?"

"Because you're pretty," Naruto said with a goofy grin.

"I am not a girl," Gaara growled lowly.

"I know you're not a girl; you just have legs that would make a girl jealous."

Gaara growled again making Naruto laugh. Gaara huffed, not happy that Naruto was making fun of him. He decided to show his displeasure by crossing his arms over his chest and turning his back to the blond.

Naruto was still chuckling softly as he linked his arms around Gaara's waist. "Don't be offended Gaara, I'm not trying to insult you. I just think you're really attractive and so do other people. You shouldn't be upset by that."

"Well if that's the case you won't be upset when I tell you that you have wide girly hips and your face is very feminine," hissed Gaara. None of that was necessarily true but Gaara was feeling petulant and wanted Naruto to know what it felt like to be mocked.

Naruto pouted. "It's not nice to lie about things like that Gaara."

"How do you know I'm lying?" countered Gaara.

"Because I have very blunt friends who like to tell me all my faults. Having a feminine face and hips has never come up before. When I was younger they said I was short and squat like a cube, but never feminine."

Gaara didn't have a reply for this so he stared ahead silently instead. Naruto sighed wearily and pressed a kiss to Gaara's neck. Then he pressed another, and another, and soon he was caressing every exposed part of Gaara's neck with his lips. The attention made Gaara squirm slightly in Naruto's grasp. "Stop that," he ordered.

"Why?" Naruto asked before disregarding the order and continuing.

"Because you're trying to force me to forgive you. It won't work though."

"Really?" Naruto inquired, a mischievous note tainting his innocent tone.

"Yes."

Gaara's eyes widened as a moist tongue sensuously ran up his neck. When Naruto reached the redhead's ear he suckled on the flesh eliciting a needy moan from Gaara. Naruto smirked, whispering into Gaara's ear, "Are you sure my plan won't work?"

Gaara's growl turned into a whimper as Naruto bit a sensitive spot. He unconsciously tilted his head to the side to give Naruto more access, his eyes slipping shut as the blond continued his ministrations.

Naruto loved the way Gaara was responding to his kisses. The redhead's arms were no longer crossed and his back was no longer stiff. The non-verbal sounds that flowed from Gaara's lips made Naruto want to throw the redhead onto his bed and ravish him then and there. The blond wasn't ready to end the foreplay just yet though.

Spinning Gaara around Naruto smashed their lips together in a fiery kiss. Gaara was slightly dazed by the sudden change in position but it didn't take long for him to join in the fight for dominance of the situation. Naruto's hands were all over him; slipping under his shirt to graze his sensitive stomach and running down his back to finally squeeze his ass. It was an exhilarating experience that Gaara had no intention of ending any time soon.

When they broke apart for air Gaara hurriedly dragged Naruto out of his jacket and shirt. The afore mentioned items were dropped uncaringly to the floor but before Naruto could protest (because Tsunade would rip him a new one if his clothes got dirty after just being to the dry cleaners) Gaara's tongue was trailing from his navel up to his mouth.

Naruto groaned as their mouths reconnected, his hands moving between their bodies to get Gaara out of his shirt. Gaara was most helpful in that he was already trying to shrug out of his jacket before Naruto began to fumble with the shirt.

When Naruto's hands went for Gaara's fly the redhead pulled out of the kiss. His gaze was critical, assessing, trying to gage Naruto's intentions. The suspicion in his eyes hurt but then Naruto remembered that this was the first time they had ever gotten this far. One part of him wondered if they were moving too fast and should wait a bit longer; another part said to screw waiting and just take Gaara before the mood was completely ruined.

"What's wrong Gaara?"

Gaara considered him for a moment. "I'm not sure that we should be doing this."

"Why? Because two guys shouldn't have sex? Because you're saving yourself for marriage? Because you don't fancy me at all and have just been stringing me along for a laugh!?"

Naruto hadn't meant to sound so angry. He couldn't help it though, he was sexually frustrated and Gaara getting cold feet was not helping him work off his arousal. It was clear from the bulge in the redhead's pants that he was as turned on as Naruto but still he was refusing to cooperate! Naruto felt like screaming. If only such an action would help matters.

Gaara's eyes softened slightly. "I'm not stringing you along Naruto, nor am I objecting to this for any of those other reasons you mentioned. I just…I have trust issues."

Naruto's eyes also softened when Gaara imparted this information to him. He embraced the redhead in his arms, gently rubbing circles into his back. Gaara wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist, silently accepting the comfort the blond offered.

After a minute of this Naruto asked, "Would it make you feel better if I undressed first?"

Gaara's cheeks turned crimson as the image of a naked Naruto rose unbidden into his mind. "What if someone from the party comes to find us?" he asked as his mind struggled to find a way to get him out of this very embarrassing predicament. As much as he wanted to have sex with Naruto there was a big difference between wanting something and actually being willing to go through with it. The whole intimacy of sex made Gaara feel uncomfortable and he didn't think he was yet ready to go through with it. Plus, he had come up with a valid point – they both would be mortified if they were discovered.

"They won't," was Naruto's confident answer.

"How do you know?" challenged Gaara.

"Because I'll lock the door."

After a moment of struggling for another excuse Gaara asked, "Do you actually know how to have sex?"

Naruto looked truly offended by that. "Of course I do!"

"In detail?"

"Well, maybe not in detail," Naruto said, shifting uncomfortably. "But I can always find out later! Besides, I wasn't exactly planning on us having sex-sex." Gaara raised a confused eyebrow at this so Naruto elaborated. "I didn't think we should go all the way just yet but I did think it would be alright to, you know, get each other off without actually having sex." Even with Naruto's explanation Gaara was still confused as to what he was trying to say. Naruto sighed at the blank look. "It doesn't matter now anyway. I'm no longer in the mood to see you naked."

Gaara watched blankly as Naruto released him, turning his back to him to redress. Gaara hadn't meant to upset Naruto. He was just…unsure how to handle the situation. He didn't want Naruto to be angry or disappointed in him. He wanted Naruto to be happy, to be the loud, cheerful boy that he normally was. That wasn't the person Naruto was being at the moment.

Moving behind Naruto, Gaara wrapped his arms around the blond teen's waist. Naruto continued to button up his shirt as if Gaara hadn't moved at all. The redhead frowned at this; it wasn't like Naruto to ignore him. "Naruto?" he questioned softly.

Naruto sighed, his arms dropping down to his sides. "Yes?"

"Have I upset you?"

Naruto turned his head to look at him; his smile small and his gaze sympathetic. "You haven't upset me Gaara; I'm just kind of disappointed that I won't be getting any head tonight."

The gears began to turn in Gaara's mind. If he gave Naruto head then the boy would cheer up. He could do that. He wouldn't be putting his trust in anybody; it would be Naruto trusting him not to do anything nasty while he was down there. He could do that.

Gaara released Naruto and dashed forward to lock the door. Naruto watched curiously as Gaara turned back around and stalked intentionally towards him. He had no idea what Gaara was doing and was about to ask when the redhead got down on his knees before him.

Naruto's eyes widened as Gaara unzipped his pants and pulled them down along with his underwear. Gaara hadn't taken his words to heart, had he? He wasn't doing this just to make Naruto happy, was he? Naruto felt a wave of guilt pass over him as the redhead stared intently at his arousal.

Before Naruto could tell Gaara he didn't need to do this if he didn't want to the other teen had leaned forward and given the tip a tentative lick. After that the words refused to come to Naruto and he was left to wait in hopeful anticipation of what would happen next.

Gaara smirked at his achievement. He was probably the first person ever to shut Naruto up so effectively. Wondering what else he could do to the blond, Gaara accepted the tip of Naruto's cock into his mouth. Naruto's sharp intake of breath encouraged Gaara to move further down the blond boy's length until he felt he was about to gag. At that point Gaara grabbed hold of Naruto's thighs to steady himself and pulled off. Naruto groaned in protest and thrust his hips upwards. Gaara hurriedly drew away, giving Naruto a disapproving glare.

Naruto smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that. You can continue now."

Gaara continued glaring for a moment. Then he returned to the task at hand. He once again took up Naruto's dick and began to experiment with different amounts of movement, suction, and tongue usage.

Naruto's hand snaked into Gaara's hair and gripped it tightly as the redhead worked. He whimpered as he tried to keep his hips still; loving what Gaara was doing. His mind was blanketed by pleasure; his breathing becoming shallower as he got close. Then he came and he was barely able to keep upright as his seed spurted into Gaara's awaiting mouth.

Gaara coughed as he swallowed. Looking up at Naruto made the redhead smile proudly. From the way Naruto was staring down at him the blond had definitely forgiven him. It made Gaara wonder if perhaps he wanted Naruto to do the same thing to him…Yes, he would like that to happen, just not right now. Gaara felt he needed a little longer with Naruto before he made that jump.

Standing back up, Gaara moved to put his shirt back on. Naruto watched him quietly for a moment before asking, "Do you want me to help you with your problem?"

Gaara shook his head. "I'll do it myself."

Naruto raised an eyebrow as he pulled his pants back up. "Are you sure?"

Gaara walked over, tilted Naruto's chin towards him and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "Yes."

Naruto nodded in acceptance. With that Gaara unlocked the door and left for the bathroom. Naruto watched him go, smiling to himself. Gaara definitely was an anomaly but that was why Naruto liked him. Laughing quietly to himself the blond took a seat on his bed and waited for Gaara to return, hoping to revel in Gaara's eccentricity for awhile longer before he had to leave.

It was a depressing thought, not being able to see Gaara after school like they had been doing, but he knew it was for the best. He could still see Gaara on weekends – it wasn't like the redhead was moving to another country. Still, Naruto would much rather have spent time with his pretty redhead than done homework, especially if Gaara had still been in the maid's outfit.

A fond smile drifted onto Naruto's lips as he remembered Gaara in his sexy costume. Fate really liked to screw with the poor redhead. With that thought in mind, Naruto began to wonder what other embarrassing surprises fate had in store for him and Gaara…

* * *

Ebisu refused to admit that he was sulking. True, he had every right to sulk as a potential model had just turned him down but that didn't mean that he could – he had a reputation to uphold after all.

As Ebisu continued to feel sorry for himself he was approached by Jiraiya. The older man slung an arm around Ebisu's shoulders and asked, "What's got you so down huh?"

Ebisu sighed forlornly. "I just saw a model that would have made sales shoot up to a record height but unfortunately he turned down my offer of a job at Paradise."

Jiraiya raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Somebody here at the party?"

Ebisu nodded. "A beautiful boy with fiery red hair and an amazing figure. The one who was wearing the maid's outfit before dinner."

Jiraiya's eyes widened. "You wanted to make Gaara a model?"

Ebisu looked at him curiously. "You know the boy?"

"Yeah, he was working here doing community service for the week until Naruto called Tsunade and spoiled everything," answered Jiraiya, still slightly bitter about his plan being foiled.

"Is that why he was in the dress?"

"Yes, but Sarutobi decided it was immoral to continue to make him do so. Now we have to find somewhere else for him to do his community service."

A figurative light bulb appeared above Ebisu's head. "What if he did his service at Paradise?"

The perverted idea made Jiraiya grin. The smile then dropped from his face as he realized that it wouldn't work. "I'm afraid that would still be considered immoral if Gaara doesn't agree to it willingly; Sarutobi won't go for it."

"But he will be serving the community by showing off his beauty and giving the hopeless youth of today hope!" cried Ebisu passionately.

Jiraiya sighed. "Sarutobi is old fashioned in his ways – he thinks perversion is something that should be kept private not broadcast in the media. He wants Gaara to do something meaningful like read to sick children or help the elderly. Unless you can really convince him Gaara will be helping the community then there's no chance he'll go for it."

Ebisu's shoulders drooped with disappointment. Jiraiya sympathetically patted the man's shoulder. He also knew what it felt like to have all your hard worked plans dashed before your eyes.

Meanwhile, at the other side of the ballroom, Sarutobi was in conversation with Itachi. "I'm sorry about that unfortunate incident between Sasuke and Gaara earlier," Sarutobi apologized.

"It was only a harmless disagreement," said Itachi dismissively.

"I'm glad you think so," Sarutobi said with a warm smile.

"I'm curious though; why was that boy in a dress?"

"Jiraiya has a unique idea of how people should carry out their community service," Sarutobi said with a light laugh.

"Does that mean that the boy's punishment is now over?"

"No, I just need to find one that is more ethically sound."

"May I suggest the Parson's Volunteer Project? It is one my company is sponsoring and I hear they are looking for more volunteers to help out."

"Ah yes, I've heard of the Parson's Project; they do good work." Sarutobi paused for a second as he considered his options. Finally he asked, "Do you know where I can sign Gaara up as a volunteer?"

"I'll do it if you like," offered Itachi. "I am scheduled to make an appearance at one of the sites for a publicity event on Saturday and I need to finalize details; I'll have them call you to organise arrangements."

"That would be splendid! Thank you Itachi."

"It's my pleasure," Itachi replied before he moved away from the old judge, a very evil scheme already beginning to form in his mind.


	6. Chapter 6

I'll start off by saying that this may be the last chapter I post until the end of June. I have exams starting in May so I should really be revising instead of writing. After that though updates should be as normal.

So, this chapter we get to find out what Itachi is planning and see Gaara doing his community service. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Gaara arrived at the new community centre at 10am precisely, just as he had been instructed. Construction had only finished a few days ago and the dust that layered the walls and floors was testament to that. Gaara's new punishment (according to the instructions he had received via phone call on Thursday night) was to help the group that had ordered the construction to make the place usable. In other words he was being forced to clean again, only this time he wouldn't be wearing a dress.

Gaara made his way into the entrance hall where other 'volunteers' had gathered. Most were young and looked keen to do some good to help the community. The positive atmosphere unnerved Gaara slightly – nothing good ever come of that much optimism under one roof.

The fact that Gaara wasn't radiating enthusiasm must have been evident as a man in tight green overalls with dark hair in a bowl cut pranced over to him and asked, "Are you the boy here to do your community service?"

"Yes," Gaara answered quietly.

"Splendid!" the man cried jovially, making Gaara retreat a few steps in fear. "My name is Gai and I will be your supervisor for the day. Follow me and I shall introduce you to your colleagues in this youthful venture to help the less fortunate."

Instead of allowing Gaara to walk on his own Gai threw an arm around his shoulders and swiftly guided him out of the busy hall to a room near the back of the building. Feeling uncomfortable because his personal space was being invaded, Gaara tried to wiggle out of Gai's grasp but to no avail, Gai merely continued walking and explaining the work of the Parson's Project in jubilant tones.

Gaara was relieved when they reached their destination and Gai removed his arm. He took in the state of the room – dirty unpainted walls; a white dust sheet on the floor that made the tins of paint, brushes, green overalls, battered radio and ladder stand out – before he noticed the occupants. When Gaara realized who he would be spending the day working beside he knew that there either a) was no god, or b) there was one who very much enjoyed screwing up Gaara's life. Gaara knew this because one of his co-workers was none other than Uchiha Sasuke – the guy who had molested him earlier that week when the bastard must have known full well that he already had a boyfriend.

Sasuke's shock was almost as great as Gaara's when he saw the redhead. Only, when the implications of the situation hit him he was filled with smug understanding instead of dread. So this was the reason Itachi had wanted him to volunteer, this was the reason he had smiled coyly and said, "There'll be someone there I know you're dying to see again." For once Sasuke was glad that Itachi was his big brother and that he enjoyed meddling in his affairs.

Gai, totally oblivious to the tension in the room, began the introductions. "Hello youthful volunteers! This here is Gaara – he will be one of your co-workers. Gaara, your colleagues for the day are Sasuke and the eternally youthful Lee!"

Gaara's hand was shaken vigorously by the one called Lee. He ignored the boy's enthusiastic speech about working hard together; he was too busy glaring at the self-satisfied grin on Sasuke's face. Gaara wanted to rip off that grin and stamp on it. He wanted to hit the Uchiha and scream at him that he was a stalker. But most of all he wanted out of this place and the hassle that came with being there.

"Fellow youthful volunteers, your job today will be to paint this room as well as the other rooms that line the corridor. I want you to work as a team so that things can be accomplished quickly and your youthful team skills will be improved. I will monitor your progress from time to time and inform you when the communal breaks are taking place. Please wear the overalls provided so as not to ruin your clothes. That is all I have to say so goodbye for now and good luck!"

Gai's departure was at once a relief and a worry. Gai was far too exuberant for Gaara's tastes so he was glad when the left. The only problem was that now that he was gone Sasuke would be able to approach him. Gaara only hoped he wouldn't be willing to do anything inappropriate in front of Lee.

Gaara was distracted when Lee handed him one of the green overalls. He turned his lip up in a look of disgust but put them on anyway. The other two did the same and Gaara was aware of Sasuke's eyes on him the entire time.

After that they each selected a brush and picked a wall on which to start on. Gaara picked the right wall, Lee chose the left and Sasuke chose the one in-between them. They then began to paint, Lee chattering away to break the silence. It didn't take Gaara long to turn on the radio so that he had something more interesting to listen to.

After a time Sasuke got bored of his patch of wall and moved to paint to the side of where Gaara was working. The redhead glared at him. "This is my wall – go paint your own."

Sasuke merely smiled arrogantly at him. Refusing to be baited, Gaara ignored him and continued working. It was hard to do when Sasuke kept sending him appraising sidelong glances.

Eventually Gaara snapped. "What?!" he demanded irritably.

"Nothing, I was just admiring the view," Sasuke said innocently enough but his flirtatious smirk gave him away.

"Well stop it," Gaara demanded before grabbing his can of paint and moving to the wall Sasuke had abandoned.

A few minutes later Sasuke was back beside Gaara, his smirk growing when he saw the obvious annoyance and awkwardness he caused the redhead. Gaara growled and tried to move further away but the Uchiha followed him faithfully.

It didn't take long for Gaara to decide that he'd had enough of this game. He threw down his paintbrush, grabbed the collar of Sasuke's shirt, and pinned the raven haired teen to the wall. "If you don't stop pissing me off right now I am going to send you into a world of pain of which your rich boy ass has never encountered before," Gaara hissed, his glare menacing enough to make most men wet themselves.

Unfortunately Sasuke wasn't most men, he was an Uchiha and Uchihas were not so easily intimidated. Sasuke continued to grin arrogantly in the face of Gaara's wrath. "Sorry to disappoint but I never let anybody top me."

Gaara's face contorted into an expression of shock before it returned to anger. Gaara drew back his fist, intent on showing Sasuke just what he thought of his 'wit'. Unfortunately when Gaara tried to swing through his arm met with resistance. He turned to see that Lee was holding him back. The boy with the awful haircut gave him a disapproving look. "Violence is not tolerated here Gaara! We settle disputes with words not fists! Besides, violence is not youthful and will never solve your problems."

"Maybe not but it'll certainly make me feel better," Gaara growled back.

When Lee continued to look disapproving Gaara let out a long-suffering sigh. He released Sasuke, dropping his fist and stepping away from the teen. Lee smiled at his cooperation. "Now apologize so that you can shake hands and make up."

Gaara turned on him, angry again. "I am not apologizing to that bastard," he hissed through clenched teeth.

The disapproving frown was back. "Now Gaara you can't go on acting like this if you want to be friends-"

"I do not want to be friends with him!" Gaara interjected harshly.

"That isn't an attitude you should be taking."

"And it's your place to patronize me is it?"

It was at that point that Sasuke decided to re-enter the conversation. "Now Gaara," he said charmingly as he slung an arm around the redhead. What Sasuke would have said next will never be known as Gaara automatically punched him in the gut. Sasuke's arm was immediately retracted to grasp his stomach.

"Gaara!" Lee cried in shock.

"Reflex," Gaara said innocently. He then turned to Sasuke and added in a much more menacing tone, "I don't like to be touched."

"That doesn't mean that you have the right to hit him," objected Lee.

"It's not my fault I have violent reflexes."

Next thing Gaara knew it was his turn to be pinned up against a wall. It wasn't in an Uchiha's nature to take a punch quietly. Sasuke's grin was gone now – his eyes were dark and deadly serious, he was through with playing games.

Before anything could happen, though, Lee pulled them apart. He was hastily swept aside as both teens squared off. There was only one way to settle this and discussing it like civilised people wasn't it.

Luckily the sound of an exuberant voice approaching postponed their fight. All eyes were on the door as Gai entered with a posse of photographers, journalists and one Uchiha Itachi. "And these are our youngest volunteers: Lee, Sasuke and Gaara," Gai introduced in his booming voice. "Boys, please gather round so that these youthful photographers can get a picture of you for the local paper."

Lee eagerly rushed over to Gai while Sasuke moved at a much more leisurely pace. Gaara stayed right where he was, his arms folded defiantly over his chest. "I'm under 16 – you'll need my father's permission for my photo to be published."

"Come now Gaara, don't be like that!" Gai cried, wrapping an arm around Gaara's shoulder and trying to herd the teen towards the journalists.

"He's right though Gai; we do need an adult's permission to take pictures," said one of the photographers.

Gai's posture slumped for a second before he was suddenly revitalised. "Very well then! Lee, Sasuke, let us go to the shoot!"

Gai enthusiastically led the way while the others followed more slowly. Gaara let out a sigh of relief – maybe finally he could have a moment's peace.

That didn't seem to be the case though as when Gaara looked up he saw Uchiha Itachi was still there. Gaara's eyes narrowed at the man. "What do you want?"

Itachi moved forward slowly, like a hunter approaching its naïve prey. "I was just wondering why someone doing a noble act of charity would refuse to have that act be acknowledged."

"I don't like having my picture taken," Gaara said, which was actually very true. "Shouldn't you be going to the photo shoot?" Gaara prompted.

"They are still setting up so I have time yet," Itachi replied coolly. He reached out as if he was going to touch Gaara's cheek but the redhead swiped his hand away. Itachi smirked. "You're very handsome; I can see why my brother is interested in you. What I don't understand is why you do not return the interest. Sasuke is incredibly smart, athletic, handsome and persistent. Yet you treat him as an annoyance. Why, may I ask, is that?"

"Because I already have a boyfriend."

"Uzumaki Naruto."

"Yes."

"It's interesting that you'd choose him over Sasuke. I've read your file Gaara – I know all about your home and school issues, your delinquency, your reputation. I would have thought you would have chosen somebody who shared your views on the world instead of the grandson of a porn novelist and professional gambler."

Gaara glared at Itachi. "How did you get hold of my file?"

"To be a good businessman you need to have the right connections," was the Uchiha's cryptic answer.

Gaara's eyes remained narrowed as he said, "I don't care what connections you have, you have no right to read my file and make judgements on me. This is my life and I'll live it the way I choose to."

Gaara was about to leave (seeing as Itachi didn't seem to be intending to any time soon) but stopped when Itachi said, "What if I offered you a chance to live your life without your father around?"

Gaara regarded Itachi carefully. Whenever Gaara had been questioned by social workers about his home life he had made his hatred of his father very clear. All the transcripts from those interviews were probably in his file so Itachi would know that he'd jump at the chance to escape his father's rule. The only reason Gaara hadn't run away already was because he didn't have any money and nobody was willing to give him a job. Sleeping on the streets was marginally less appealing than sleeping down the hall to the man Gaara hated.

Seeing that he had Gaara's attention, Itachi continued. "Once you turn sixteen you are no longer required to live with your father. At that time you could move out, if you have the money to buy an apartment that is. I'm willing to pay you to go out with Sasuke."

Gaara couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Does Sasuke know you're trying to buy me like some street whore?"

"No. And to answer your next question – I don't think he _would_ be happy if he knew."

"Then why the hell are you doing this?!"

"Because I was wondering if you would take the bait. I'm pleased to see you're not a person who isn't worth chasing."

Gaara stared at Itachi in bewilderment. He really didn't understand this man or his motives.

Itachi saw the look and smirked again. "As I said earlier, you're a pretty boy that I would love to chase but sadly can't as it would be inappropriate. My brother, on the other hand, is your age and able to woo you without causing a scandal. I'm sure now that watching him chase you (while not as fun as participating myself) will be a pleasure to observe. To keep it a fair fight I should probably remove myself from the picture. However, the urge to meddle in my little brothers affairs may become too great to resist, in which case we will meet again Gaara. But until that time, fair well for now." With that Itachi took hold of Gaara's hand and kissed the knuckle. He then left for the photo shoot.

As Gaara stood there alone in the partly painted room he wondered why bad things always seemed to happen to him. First he was put in a dress and now he had two crazy Uchiha stalkers who seemed to want to make his life more complicated than it needed to be.

Gaara sighed. Was it too much to ask for a quiet life?

* * *

Naruto was only half watching the TV as he anxiously waited for the doorbell to ring. Gaara was coming round for a sleepover seeing as he had been too busy doing his community service to see Naruto that morning. Naruto was impatient for him to arrive so that they could begin watching movies and making out. It might have only been a few days since Naruto had last seen his precious redhead but the blond was already starting to have withdrawal symptoms. Tsunade (who was still upset that her trip had been cut short) had commented that he was moping a lot more than usual. She also said he kept sighing like a lovesick puppy. Naruto couldn't help but agree – he was lovesick and missing Gaara.

The chiming of the doorbell made Naruto jump to his feet. He immediately rushed out of the room so that he could see Gaara just that little bit sooner. He wrenched open the front door, a wide grin plastered on his face. The grin quickly disintegrated when he saw that it wasn't Gaara at the door, just one of Tsunade's friends come for a gossip. Naruto told the woman that his grandmother was upstairs then closed the door dispiritedly.

Naruto was halfway down the hall when the doorbell rang for a second time. He wheeled around and dashed back to the door. This time it was Gaara standing impatiently on the front step. Naruto grinned and embraced the redhead in a bone-crushing hug. "Gaara! I'm so glad you're here!" Naruto cried delightedly.

"Let go Naruto," Gaara said, his tone sounding annoyed even though he couldn't stop his lips twitching up into a half smile.

Naruto obliged the redhead, drawing back to get a good look at him. As far as Naruto could tell Gaara was no different to the last time the blond had seen him.

Naruto continued smiling as he placed a gentle kiss on Gaara's lips. The redhead responded with an equally measured kiss, quietly closing the door behind him. Then Naruto pulled back, taking hold of Gaara's hand and leading him up the stairs to the blond teen's room.

Once inside Naruto motioned to the stack of DVDs on the floor before the TV. "Since you're the guest you can decide what movie we watch first."

Gaara dropped the overnight bag he had brought at the base of Naruto's bed before kneeling down to sort through the films. "What are the sleeping arrangements for tonight?" Gaara enquired as he eliminated some cheesy looking romances from the selection.

"Granny Tsunade had the room next door made up for you. If this is a proper sleepover, though, you won't be getting much sleep."

Gaara looked at him quizzically. "How so?"

"Well you stay up past midnight talking and watching films, don't you, so there really isn't much time to sleep."

"I wouldn't know – I've never been to a sleepover."

"Really?" Naruto said, quite surprised by this. "Why?"

"Nobody ever invited me and I've never been inclined to invite anyone to my house." To avoid continuing the conversation Gaara placed a DVD into the machine and pressed play. He then moved over to the bed where Naruto had seated himself.

Just as Gaara had sat down Naruto jumped up to turn off the lights. On his way back to his seat he grabbed the popcorn and other snacks he'd prepared and offered them to Gaara. The redhead initially refused the snacks. Naruto shrugged and shoved a handful of popcorn into his mouth, earning a slight grimace from Gaara. Naruto saw the movement and asked, "What?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full," was Gaara's reply.

Naruto rolled his eyes before swallowing. "So how was your community service?"

Gaara's face instantly darkened. "I don't want to talk about it."

Naruto winced. "That bad?"

"Yes, it was." That was all Gaara was intending to say on the subject but when Naruto continued to stare expectantly at him Gaara released a weary sigh and elaborated. "I think the Uchiha's are stalking me."

Naruto's eyebrows rose in surprise before falling down into a frown. "What do you mean?"

"I mean Sasuke was also working as a volunteer on the project," replied Gaara.

Naruto's frown deepened. "That doesn't sound like Sasuke – he never does anything charitable."

"His brother was also there since his company made a donation to the project. That man is crazy." Again Naruto looked confused so Gaara elaborated. "He caught me alone and from the sound of it he thinks there's now a competition going on between you and Sasuke with me as the grand prize."

"What!?" cried Naruto in horrified anger. "There is no competition! I told Sasuke that we were together and I thought he accepted that."

"Well he doesn't – he was stalking me the whole time I was there."

"Are you sure you didn't misunderstand Sasuke's intentions? Maybe he was just being his usual jerk self and you got the wrong impression?" Naruto said, trying desperately to make Gaara take back his implications. Sasuke was his best friend; Naruto didn't want to find out that his best friend was trying to steal his boyfriend away from him. Naruto knew that Sasuke could be a bastard sometimes but that really would take him to a new low. He didn't want to believe Gaara's accusations but at the same time he couldn't see any reason why Gaara would lie to him about this unless it was all a huge, honest mistake.

The look Gaara gave Naruto made it very clear that he was confident in his convictions. "He followed me around all day and kept staring at me as if I was a choice piece of meat; there isn't much there to misunderstand."

Naruto slumped in defeat. "Well there's nothing either of us can do about it now. If he's really bothering you then I'll talk to him on Monday about it."

Gaara nodded in approval. He then turned his attention to the film that was just starting. Naruto also turned his attention to the film. The silence that fell between them was full of unease after their previous discussion. Naruto still wasn't fully convinced that Sasuke was after Gaara and the redhead could tell. It annoyed Gaara that Naruto didn't believe him and Naruto could sense that annoyance. It was a horrible spiral that forced both of them to stare at the TV screen and pretend to be enraptured by the movie even though they had no idea what was happening.

After a few more minutes of awkward silence Naruto declared, "This is all your fault."

Gaara turned to him, a mixture of fury and incredulity on his face. "_My_ fault? How is any of this my fault?"

"If you weren't so hot Sasuke wouldn't give you a second glance and we wouldn't be in this mess."

Gaara noticed the barely suppressed smile and felt like smacking Naruto around the head for being an idiot. Then again he had dispelled most of the tension between them. Still, he was not forgiven and Gaara made this perfectly clear by turning back to face the TV, crossing his arms over his chest and mumbling, "It's not my fault that bastard saw me in a dress and got ideas."

Naruto blinked before grinning. "You're right," he assented, gaining a slightly curious glance from Gaara. "If Sasuke had never seen you in that maid's outfit then he wouldn't be after you. So the person who is really to blame is the one who thought up your punishment."

"Jiraiya," Gaara hissed, catching on to Naruto's reasoning.

"Exactly," Naruto concluded, a proud smile gracing his features.

Gaara turned away and Naruto thought that that was the end of the conversation. Then Gaara tilted his head to the side and asked, "Do you think we should punish him for starting this?"

A fox-like grin spread across Naruto's lips. "You know what, I think we should."

Gaara sent him a devilish smirk. "Then shall we begin the preparations?"

Naruto leaned forward so that his face was less than an inch away from Gaara's. "Let's."

* * *

Downstairs Jiraiya shuddered as a foreboding shiver ran up his spine. He had a feeling something bad was about to happen to him. As he hurriedly ran through the list of people he had recently pissed off his mind juddered to a halt at Gaara's name. It was at that point he remembered that Naruto had invited Gaara over for a sleepover. Gaara (a well known delinquent) all alone in a room with Naruto – a well known prankster who knew all of Jiraiya's weakness. God help him.

* * *

Please Review! Reviews make authoresses happy :)


	7. Chapter 7

I'm sorry it took so long to update this. Once I'd finished my exams I didn't like the draft I'd started and had to keep rewriting it. I'm not sure if I'm entirely happy with this version either but I have a cold and can't be bothered to fine tune it anymore than I already have because that would probably take another two weeks to do. So, I hope you enjoy the long awaited chapter. Hopefully the next one won't take as long to write. I make no promises though.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Jiraiya had never been an overly cautious man. In his line of work being risqué was what made you famous. He had also never been particularly paranoid. He was weary of people who might try to cheat him but he didn't suspect that everyone he met was out to get him.

However, there are some situations you just _know_ you should never allow to occur. Never leave your valuables on display in the car; never leave the cat alone with the canary; never allow Naruto and Gaara to get together so that they can plot revenge against you. Jiraiya had just unknowingly allowed the last of these three things to occur and now he needed to right his mistake.

As quietly as he could Jiraiya tiptoed towards Naruto's room. He furtively glanced up and down the hallway, making sure nobody was there to blow his cover. Then he leaned forward and pressed his ear against the door.

After a moment of hearing nothing Jiraiya remembered that Naruto's room was spy-proof. Mentally cursing, Jiraiya reached for the door handle. He twisted it ever so slightly and pushed. The door opened a crack and Jiraiya was able to see into his grandson's bedroom. What he saw was not two boys plotting revenge. What he saw was mainly a bit of wall that was obscured by one of Naruto's posters.

Again cursing mentally, Jiraiya opened the door inch by inch until finally he was able to make out his grandson making out with Gaara. Slightly reassured by this Jiraiya quickly closed the door before either of the teens could notice him.

Settling himself on his haunches Jiraiya began contemplating his next move. Going in and physically separating them would make his fear too obvious and would also generate even more animosity between him and the two teenagers. However, walking away was not an option. The two teens wouldn't remain in their lip lock all night; as soon as they broke apart they'd more than likely start plotting their revenge.

Jiraiya frowned as he continued to ponder the conundrum. It was a real waste of a Saturday night sitting outside his grandson's door on the off-chance that he was right and Naruto was plotting something. But what if he wasn't? What if he was being paranoid? What if he wasn't? There had to be a simple way to solve this. Think Jiraiya, think!

Jiraiya had been so busy concentrating on coming up with a way to stop the two teens in his home enacting their revenge against him that he never saw the kick that was aimed at his side. He definitely felt it when it connected though. With a choked cry of pain Jiraiya fell to the floor, grasping his aching side.

"It didn't hurt that much you big baby," Tsunade said with a roll of her eyes at her husband.

Jiraiya was about to disagree but thought better of it. Tsunade was still miffed that her cruise had ended early and so had no sympathy for him or Naruto at the moment. Telling her that she had used her monstrous strength without meaning to wouldn't get him anywhere so really it wasn't worth bothering.

Seeing that Jiraiya wasn't objecting to her rough treatment Tsunade asked the question, "What are you up to?"

Jiraiya quickly put on his most innocent looking face. "Up to? What makes you think I'm up to anything Darling?" Translation: _Yes I am up to something but I'm not going to tell you what it is because you'll beat the snot out of me if I do. _

Not feeling particularly patient that evening Tsunade grabbed Jiraiya by his collar and dragged him to his feet. "Don't play games with me _Darling_; I know you're up to something and you'll tell me what it is right now or I'll be forced to beat it out of you."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow at this statement. "Your chat with Shizune didn't go well then?"

"Don't try to change the subject!" object Tsunade. Jiraiya's knowing look remained in place and it made Tsunade want to hit him. It would have been wrong for her to do so though when he had practically hit the nail on the head. Tsunade sighed, releasing the grip she had on her husband. "She says others have been bitching about me behind my back; they've been saying I'm some gambling whore and it's no wonder Naruto has behavioural issues when he has such crap grandparents as role models."

Jiraiya shook his head sadly. "You shouldn't let them get to you Tsunade; you know they're just stuck up gossips that get pleasure out of putting other people down."

"I know that," snapped Tsunade. "But just because I know they're all cows doesn't mean I don't get riled up when they insult me and my family."

Jiraiya smiled understandingly at his wife. He put a sympathetic arm around Tsunade's shoulders and led her down the stairs. "Come on, I've got a bottle of vintage red hidden away downstairs – I'm sure that will cheer you up."

Tsunade smiled and leaned in closer to her husband. The man might be a totally selfish pervert but he always did know how to make her feel better. It was times like this she remembered why she loved him.

Once Tsunade was settled in the living room Jiraiya began to search for the bottle he'd stowed away for an occasion such as this. As he searched he realised that he was officially giving up on making sure the boys didn't try and prank him. The thought made him pause for a second before he forced it away. He'd much prefer spending a quiet night with his wife drinking wine than squatting outside his grandson's door waiting for him to do something. If Naruto did want to get revenge then him camping outside his room wouldn't stop the blond. Besides, what could Naruto do to him? He'd survived all of the pranks the blond had pulled during his glory years of delinquency so Jiraiya was sure he could handle whatever Naruto threw at him now.

Jiraiya found the bottle he was looking for and headed back to the living room with a smile on his face. Sometimes a change in perspective made things seem better than they had before. Let Gaara and Naruto do their worst – he was ready.

* * *

Their lips disconnected and Naruto took a deep breath, forcing air into his oxygen starved lungs. He then laughed, saying, "Wow, what a kiss."

Gaara nodded breathlessly, his cheeks tinged a pretty pink colour. Naruto laughed again (this time at Gaara's disorientated expression) before collapsing. His breathing became more normal as he lay with his head on Gaara's shoulder, a smile still lingering on his lips.

After awhile Naruto propped himself up on his elbows so that he could face Gaara. The redhead's cheeks were still slightly flushed and that made Naruto smile. He leaned forward and lightly kissed the tip of Gaara's nose. The redhead's face scrunched up as if he was about to sneeze making Naruto chuckle.

Flicking his eyes to the side Naruto gave a lop-sided smile. "Looks like we missed the beginning of the movie."

"It was worth it," Gaara mumbled quietly.

Naruto returned his smile to the redhead. This time he aimed his kiss for Gaara's lips and when he found his target he was met with an almost instantaneous response. Gaara's fingers became entangled in Naruto's hair, a soft moan passing his lips as Naruto's hand slipped underneath his shirt.

They kept the kiss slow but sensual, hands leisurely roaming across over-sensitive bodies. Naruto arched his back as Gaara's fingers ghosted down the centre of his spine; Gaara purred as Naruto stroked his thigh and both boys released deep groans of longing as their hips connected.

Naruto broke the kiss and pulled back slightly. He stared down at the breathless redhead whose eyes were slightly misted with lust. The primal emotion in those eyes made Naruto want to return to grinding against the teen below but something held him back.

Noticing the conflict in Naruto's eyes Gaara asked, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," answered Naruto, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Are you sure you're Ok with this? We can slow down if I'm moving us too fast."

Truth be told, Gaara hadn't been aware of how heated their make-out session had become. After his stressful day he'd just been enjoying his time with Naruto; he hadn't given a thought to personal boundaries. It was only when Naruto stopped to ask him if he was alright did Gaara begin to see just how very close he was to the blond.

Gaara started to squirm awkwardly, his eyes no longer meeting Naruto's. Seeing Gaara's discomfort Naruto released a sigh as he moved off the redhead. Gaara then sat up, his gaze moving towards the still playing movie. Naruto did the same, well aware of the awkward silence that had descended between them.

Naruto coughed to clear his throat. "You said awhile ago that you had trust issues; care to explain what you meant by that?"

Gaara bowed his head so that his hair obscured his eyes from view. "It's complicated. Let's just say that all my relationships have ended badly and leave it at that."

Naruto gave him a sympathetic smile. "I get it. I had a girlfriend a few years ago who was really possessive. She hated that I didn't want to be with her twenty-four-seven and got really jealous when I so much as said Hello to any of my female friends. In the end it just got too much and I had to dump her. She stalked me for a few weeks but then she found some other poor sucker to latch onto. The whole experience definitely put me off the idea of dating for a long time. I think she may be part of the reason I turned out gay."

Naruto had hoped that his little anecdote would cheer Gaara up but the redhead's posture was still slumped, weary. Naruto frowned slightly, wondering if Gaara had been hurt much more deeply than he had.

"Did your girlfriend/boyfriend cheat on you? Did they break your heart? Is that why you have trust issues?" When Gaara didn't answer Naruto began to worry. He shifted next to Gaara, laying a hand on the redhead's arm. "Gaara?"

"This is the first romantic relationship I've ever been in," Gaara replied quietly, his head still bowed.

Naruto blinked. "But if this is your first relationship that would mean that… it's your family you never got along with."

"I don't want to talk about it," Gaara murmured.

Naruto regarded him silently for a moment before shrugging. "Fair enough. I guess I can understand you not wanting to tell me about big stuff like this if you have trust issues because of your family – the people who you're supposed to be able to trust the most. If you don't trust the people you've known for years then I shouldn't really expect you to trust me after only knowing me a few days. I wish you would trust me though because I trust you. I left you alone in a room full of horny, good-looking men and you didn't once cheat on me – to me that definitely speaks of commitment." Naruto paused, smiling at his own joke before continuing. "Basically what I'm trying to say is that I really like you Gaara and I want you to be able to trust me. I know it'll take time but…I know if we both make an effort this relationship can last. So even though I'm dying to know why you don't get on with your family I'll restrain myself from bugging you until you tell me. Besides, I love a man of mystery." Naruto gave Gaara a flirtatious wink, even though the redhead wasn't looking at him.

Gaara remained as still as a statue for awhile longer before whispering, "Thank you. For everything."

Naruto smiled softly. "No problem," he whispered back as he slug an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders.

Gradually Gaara leaned into the one-armed hug until his head was comfortably perched on Naruto's shoulder. The silence that ensued was not in the least uneasy – it was as relaxed and at peace as the two teens were. At that precise moment they had an understanding and they were both thankful for it. Naruto would be patient and wouldn't question Gaara about his past as long as the redhead tried to trust the blond. It was a simple understanding that would be both easy and hard to maintain. But both teens were willing to work at it because they were both certain that this was one relationship that was meant to last.

* * *

"Boo!"

"Ahh!"

Kiba laughed as Naruto stared at him with wide, panicked eyes, his hand pressed over his heart. "Oh man you should see your face!" the brunet cried loudly as he clutched his sides.

"Not funny Kiba!" Naruto shouted, his face red with embarrassment. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"It's your own fault Naruto – you shouldn't have been daydreaming. By the way, what were you dreaming about? It wouldn't happen to be that pretty redhead would it?" Kiba asked, his grin turning lecherous as he mentioned Gaara.

"No," Naruto denied even though his darkening blush proved Kiba had hit the nail on the head. He had been recalling his Saturday with Gaara and the soppy atmosphere that had existed after they'd had their moment. Naruto had managed to convince Gaara to watch one of those trashy romance films his grandmother loved and together they had laughed at the clichés then cuddled when the really romantic bits were shown.

After hours of film watching and gorging on snacks (well, Naruto had gorged, Gaara had merely picked at whatever Naruto was eating) the two had decided that it was time for bed. There had been an embarrassing moment when they moved to change but Gaara had ended the situation by going to the bathroom to undress. When he'd returned he'd brought that moment of awkwardness back with him. Gaara had hovered near the doorway, his eyes not meeting Naruto's as he'd asked in a round-about way if they could share a bed. Once Naruto had worked out what Gaara was trying to tell him his face had been illuminated by a beaming smile. He'd quickly motioned for Gaara to get into bed first and had then climbed in after him, allowing Gaara to decide the positions.

At first Naruto had been disappointed since Gaara had made sure that there was at least a foot between them. But then Gaara had become more comfortable with the idea of them sharing a bed and had inched closer until they were spooning – Gaara's back pressed up against Naruto's pyjama covered chest and his arms loosely wrapped around the redhead's waist.

Naruto had managed to refrain from molesting the redhead while in that position since he knew there would be disastrous consequences if he did. He was rewarded for this the next morning when he woke up to find Gaara still snuggled up close. It turned out that the redhead had been awake for awhile but hadn't felt like facing Naruto's grandparents alone. That and he'd been very comfortable where he was listening to Naruto talk in his sleep. When asked what he had said when he was sleeping Gaara had merely smirked knowingly and refused to answer. Naruto assumed the worst.

The blond teen was saved from answering any more questions when Shino whacked the back of Kiba's head. "What was that for!?" Kiba cried as he clutched his abused head.

Shino didn't reply, merely gave Kiba one of his silently piercing stares that told the brunet he had crossed the line. Kiba's shoulders slumped and a pout slipped onto his lips. The expression made Naruto snort as he tried hard to contain his laughter.

Kiba turned to glare at the blond. "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing," Naruto replied innocently even though a smirk still lingered on his lips.

Kiba continued to stare resentfully at him and Naruto would have laughed at his friend again if it wasn't for the fact that at that moment Sasuke walked into the classroom. The Uchiha immediately had Naruto's full attention. Remembering that he had promised Gaara that he would make sure Sasuke backed off Naruto sighed. He really didn't want to have this conversation but he had made a promise and Naruto never went back on his word.

Pushing himself to his feet Naruto made his way over to Sasuke's desk. The Uchiha watched him come, his expression as stony and unreadable as ever. "Naruto," he greeted calmly.

"Sasuke," Naruto replied, equally as calm. "We need to talk. Outside."

Sasuke nodded and lead the way out of the classroom and into the corridor. Naruto followed him, well aware of the eyes that followed them as they walked to a place that was out of earshot of the other students. They stopped and faced each other, Sasuke with his arms crossed and Naruto with his hands thrust deep into his pockets. Both looked determined and unwilling to be the first to speak. Naruto, being the more impatient of the two, was the first to break the silence.

"Look, I know neither of us wants to have this conversation so I'll just say what I have to say and leave and what I have to say is this: Gaara thinks that you and your brother are stalking him."

This made Sasuke's expressionless mask slip for a moment. "Itachi is stalking him?"

"Sort of. Gaara says that Itachi is the self-appointed referee of the supposed fight between us for the prize of Gaara's ass." At this point Naruto's eyes became cold, fierce. "What you need to tell Itachi is that there is no competition. Gaara is my boyfriend already and he has no intention of going with anyone else."

Sasuke smirked in that sardonic way of his that Naruto had always hated. "He's your boyfriend now but how much longer do you think this little fling of yours is going to last? A year? A month? A week? A _day_? The only reason he agreed to date you was because he thought it would be a way of getting out of his community service and then because he didn't know that there were people out there that were better for him."

"People like you, you mean," said Naruto, barely controlling the anger and sarcasm in his voice.

Sasuke's smirk clearly said, _"Of course."_ "Don't take it personally Naruto – it's not supposed to be an insult – it's just that you and Gaara don't fit."

"How would you know?!" shouted Naruto, forgetting to keep his voice down. "You'd never met Gaara before you came to the old perv's party! The only things you know about him are what I've told you! How dare you claim to know him!?"

"I also read his file and asked around about him," replied Sasuke, calm in the face of Naruto's wrath.

"So what!? A few bits of paper can't tell you what a person really feels or who they really are! All you know is bull and meaningless facts!" Grabbing hold of Sasuke's collar, Naruto pulled the taller boy down so that their faces were inches apart. "Stay away from Gaara," Naruto growled. "You dare harass him again and I will kick your ass. I won't let you come between us just because you're jealous."

Sasuke laughed at that. "Jealous? Me?" he asked as if the very idea was so preposterous that he couldn't believe Naruto had dared to think it out loud.

"Yes, you've always been in competition with me since we were kids. You always did better in school but I managed to hold my own at sports. When we were kids you were constantly jealous that I had more toys and so you made sure that you were the most popular boy in school. Everyone wanted to play with you and never with me."

Naruto paused for a moment, the bitter childhood memories getting the better of him. In that minute Sasuke was able to sneer, carelessly remove Naruto's hands from his collar and say, "You're deluded; I was never jealous of you and we were never rivals. I've always been better than you Naruto and always will be."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, his tone clearly indicating his barely suppressed rage. "You're the one who's deluding himself. If you really wanted to date Gaara and you really didn't think we would last then you'd wait until we'd broken up before making your move. But you're scared we _will _last and that I'll have something you won't – a boyfriend who loves me for reasons besides being rich. You can't stand not having more than me, not being better than me, so you're going to prove you are better by stealing away my boyfriend. You're going to ruin our relationship just so that you can deal with your own insecurities." Naruto blinked as he realised all he had just said was true. "You're a real bastard Sasuke; I can't believe I was ever friends with you."

Sasuke clenched his fists in anger. How dare Naruto judge him like that? The blond was one to speak on not knowing people; all those things he had said about Sasuke weren't true. He was not jealous now and never had been – of anyone! Itachi was the exception to the rule but Itachi was the exception to must rules. He had graduated from school early and taken over the family business after their parents died tragically. Since then the Uchiha Corporation had become even more successful than it had been previously and Itachi had been hailed one of the greatest businessmen in the world even though he was still in his early twenties. People were lining up in the streets to give him awards that proved how brilliant he was, and to generally kiss the marvellous ground he walked on. It was alright to be jealous of a genius like that. It was not alright to be jealous of a second-rate idiot like Naruto. And for the blond to assume that he was…

Taking a deep breath Sasuke relaxed. He couldn't let the blond idiot get under his skin. Naruto thought he knew everything but he didn't. Sasuke smirked. He was going to show Naruto just how much he didn't know and then laugh gleefully as Naruto was roughly thrown back into his place. Nobody challenged Uchiha Sasuke and walked away with their pride still intact. Nobody.

Shrugging nonchalantly Sasuke said, "Believe what you want Naruto, it doesn't matter to me if you continue to deceive yourself. What does matter is that you give Gaara the right to choose who he wants to be with."

"He'll choose me," Naruto said assuredly.

"Now who's being pretentious?" said Sasuke with his sardonic sneer back in place. "The only reason he'll choose you Naruto is because you've had time to manipulate him so that he'll stick with you."

"I have not manipulated him!" cried Naruto in a mix of anger and revulsion.

Sasuke continued on regardless. "You have an unfair advantage over me. To even the odds I propose that I get to spend one whole day alone with Gaara. One day is all I need to show him that I'm the one he'd prefer to be with."

"Well you're not going to get your day because Gaara will say the same thing to you as I am: he is already taken and not interested in shopping around. Gaara is not going to break up with me just when we're starting to connect so that he can go off with a stranger he hates and who he has absolutely no faith in. You might as well give up now Sasuke. Or wait like _normal_ people do until Gaara is single and _then_ ask him on a date."

Sasuke's smirk remained firmly planted on his face. "Gaara will go on a date with me. I know he will because if he doesn't then I'm going to make a formal complaint to the police about how he assaulted me while he was doing his community service." As Naruto's eyes widened with shock Sasuke continued, "Itachi told me that it's one more strike and he's going to a Young Offenders Institute. I have a witness that will tell everyone he hit me even though I had done nothing to provoke him. If I don't get a chance to prove myself to him then his days as a free man are numbered."

Once he had regained himself Naruto's face darkened with anger. "You really don't care for him at all do you? If you did you wouldn't threaten him with prison. This is all just some stupid, sick game to you isn't it? I can't believe you Sasuke."

Sasuke made sure his face remained stony and expressionless. "Tell Gaara that I'll pick him up at seven Saturday evening and to pack an overnight bag."

Pure fury raged in Naruto's eyes at that last part of Sasuke's sentence. He grabbed hold of Sasuke's collar once again and growled, "Keep your hands off him you bastard!"

Sasuke forcefully made Naruto let go of his shirt. "Don't worry Naruto; I wasn't planning on sleeping with him. Unless, of course, he wanted me to."

The smug grin on Sasuke's face made Naruto want to punch him. He would have done too if he hadn't remembered at the last minute that they were still in school and fighting was severely punished there. If Naruto was going to rearrange Sasuke's pretty-boy mug he'd have to wait until there weren't any witnesses to do it.

Seeing that Naruto was too consumed with anger to say any more Sasuke continued to talk. "Tell Gaara that as this is our first date I will be a gentleman and refrain from doing anything inappropriate unless asked. However, he must be willing to cooperate and give me a chance to impress him. From 7pm Saturday night to 7pm Sunday night he will be my boyfriend and I want him to allow me to treat him as such. If he grants me that and still thinks that he would rather be with you then I promise I will leave him alone for good."

Naruto studied Sasuke for a moment longer, wondering how much the Uchiha's promises were worth these days. "I'll tell him and let him decide what he wants to do. But let me tell you now Sasuke, if you hurt him in any way - mentally, physically, whatever – I'll make sure you regret it," Naruto threatened in his deadly serious voice.

Sasuke smirked. "Well you can try, can't you, but I doubt you'll succeed."

With that Sasuke turned on his heel and strutted back towards the classroom. Naruto watched him go, his insides still burning with the urge to beat the Uchiha to a bloody pulp. He would resist the temptation though. If Sasuke kept to his word then he could sever all ties to him once Gaara had gone on this date with him. Naruto knew that one date wouldn't do anything to change Gaara's mind but if that was all it took to satisfy Sasuke and his obsession then that was fine with Naruto. One date wasn't too much to ask, was it? Sasuke had said that he would be a gentleman and not hurt Gaara. But then Sasuke was a bastard and Naruto no longer knew if he could trust the other teen's word.

With these worrying thoughts being repeatedly turned over in his head Naruto returned to his classroom. Once he had disappeared from sight Kakashi stepped out from the room the two boys had been previously conversing outside of. He hummed thoughtfully to himself as he stared in the direction Naruto had just gone. Perhaps it was time he had a little talk with Jiraiya.

* * *

I know loads of people wanted to see Jiraiya pranked but when I wrote the chapter it seemed really flat and unfunny so I scrapped it and put in some NaruGaa fluff.

**Review Response:** someone asked if Neji was going to come back into the story. The answer is probably no as I don't actually like Neji. I don't know why I don't like him because really he hasn't done anything to anger me. I just...don't. So to stop myself ruining his character for those who like him I'll leave him out of this fic. As for a NaruGaaSasu threesome...maybe but probably not. I tried to humanize Sasuke a bit this chapter by showing that having Itachi as an older brother has given him inferiority issues and the only way he can cope with these issues is by being better than the person he's fixated on i.e. Naruto. Sasuke's still a bastard though, whichever way you look at it, and Naruto and Gaara hate him so it's probably going to remain one-sided SasuGaa.

Finally, I originally intended to make this story T and only boosted up the rating because I thought chapter 3 had inadvertently crossed the line; the M rating is only to be safe. In other words: don't be disappointed if I don't put in any sex.

Please Review!


	8. Chapter 8

I can't believe it's taken me two months to update this. Actually, I can because I've had this horrible writer's block. Well, not so much a block as every time I tried to write something it turned out to be utter crap and I had to start all over again. But this chapter is as good as it's gonna get so I'm posting it.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

For many people Friday was the best day of the week. Friday was the last day of work, school and the beginning of the weekend. It was the gateway to fun and relaxation. At least, it usually was. This Friday however was going to be hell. Naruto had put off delivering Sasuke's message to Gaara, deciding that it would be better to tell the redhead in person rather than over the phone. Even if this way was more hazardous to Naruto's health it was also more personal and Gaara couldn't slam down the phone before Naruto had finished explaining. For this reason Naruto was for the first time dreading the beginning of the weekend.

Once Gaara arrived Naruto led him up to his room so that they could have some privacy. Naruto had suggested that Gaara sleep over again and so this time the redhead had come prepared with decent films to watch that he had 'borrowed' from his brother. Not that they would necessarily end up watching them; Gaara had a sneaking suspicion that they would spend more time making out than paying attention to the film.

However, after the initial kiss hello, Naruto didn't attempt to ravish Gaara in any way. Sitting on Naruto's bed Gaara had snuggled up to the blond teen's side and dropped his head onto Naruto's shoulder. In reply Naruto had put his arm around Gaara's waist. That was it – that was Naruto's attempt at intimacy.

Gaara sat in a confused silence for awhile, contemplating this new development. It wasn't that he didn't like not having Naruto constantly trying to grope him. On the contrary, Gaara liked having time to adjust to Naruto's presence before the blond attempted to ravish him. Nevertheless it unnerved Gaara to be sitting next to a quiet, non-molesting Naruto. Something was definitely bothering him. Gaara looked up at Naruto's face and saw that it was devoid of his usual fox-like grin. Instead Naruto seemed deep in contemplative thought. The change disturbed Gaara but he decided not to say anything. If Naruto wanted to tell him what was on his mind he would. And if he hadn't done so by the end of the movie then Gaara would see if he could pry it out of him. His mind made up Gaara returned his attention to the TV screen in time to see the car crash into the building and explode in a giant fireball.

Whilst Gaara enjoyed the action and carnage Naruto was deep in thought, trying for the millionth time to work out a way to tell Gaara what Sasuke had said without getting beaten to a pulp. So far he was failing miserably. He knew Gaara was going to be furious whatever he said but he had hoped to soften the blow. But every scenario he ran through his head always ended badly – for him that is. He didn't want Gaara to think he wanted this to happen or that he had any part in Sasuke's plan. Which he didn't. Well, not intentionally anyway; he couldn't help that Sasuke was a competitive bastard who wanted to have everything he had and more. Really he was as much a victim here as Gaara was. Naruto just hoped he could convince the redhead that was true.

Naruto was broken out of his reverie when Gaara slipped out of his hold to change DVDs. Time really did fly when you were getting close to the end of the world.

Gaara returned to Naruto's side as the DVD loaded. Once he was comfortable he said, "You're distracted."

Naruto smiled to himself. "Yeah, I am."

"Are you going to tell me why?"

"That's the reason I'm distracted." Naruto sighed when Gaara gave him a curious look. "You know you told me to speak to Sasuke about his stalking issues?"

Gaara frowned darkly. "Yes."

"Well I did. And I found out that Sasuke is an even greater bastard than I thought. You were right Gaara; he was coming onto you. He admitted that was what he was doing and said it was because he would be a better boyfriend than I would. He told me that I was the one who should back off. Then he said that if you don't go on a date with him tomorrow then he'll report you to the police for assaulting him and have you arrested."

"What?" hissed Gaara, his pale green eyes alight with fury.

"He thinks that if you allow him to take you out for one night you'll dump me and start going out with him. He wants to prove that he's the better boyfriend," Naruto said, the bitterness clear in his voice. "But apparently if you go on this date and you're still not impressed he'll admit defeat and leave you alone. I doubt it will be that simple but I can't see what else you can do to get rid of him."

"I can gouge out his eyes with a rusty spoon and then feed them to him," Gaara growled.

"Alright," Naruto corrected, "I can't see what else you can do that is _legal_."

"I don't care if it's legal or not; I refuse to allow him to treat me like some sort of object or prize."

"Gaara I'm as pissed as you are but we've got to be sensible about this. I don't want you to get shipped off to some stupid prison because you beat up Sasuke and he used his influence to twist it so that it doesn't sound like he deserved it. I know it's a really crap deal but if we don't play along with Sasuke's game for now then we're going to lose. Let him think he's won then turn around and tell him that he has all the charm of a horse's back end. That will be the ultimate bitchslap; showing him that's he's lost at his own game." Gaara gave him a look that slightly unnerved Naruto. "What?"

"I was just wondering if I should bitchslap you for trying to convince me to agree to the Uchiha's plan or go inform your grandparents that the real Naruto has been replaced by somebody sensible."

"Hey!" Naruto cried, punching Gaara in the arm.

Gaara smirked before becoming serious again. "It's true that if I attack him he's won but that still doesn't mean I'm happy about going on a date with him."

"He actually wants more than a date; he wants to spend a whole day wooing you."

"A whole day?"

Naruto nodded gravely. "From 7pm Saturday night to 7pm Sunday night. He said he wouldn't do anything to you overnight but I'm no longer sure how reliable Sasuke's word is."

"I don't trust him," Gaara declared darkly.

"You don't trust anyone," Naruto said offhandedly.

"True, but I particularly distrust the Uchiha and his brother. And I'm still not happy about spending a whole day with either of them."

"I know. I don't want that bastard's greasy paws anywhere near you. You're my boyfriend and I'm the only one allowed to molest you," Naruto said, his foxy grin slipping onto his lips.

Gaara elbowed the blond but couldn't help his lips twitching up into a hint of a smile. This was the perverted blond he knew and loved. "I'm surprised you even gave the Uchiha's idea consideration seeing as you are so possessive."

"Well when he suggested it I really wanted to punch his lights out but we were in school so I couldn't. That meant I had to think about what he'd said instead and the more I thought about it the more I realized that we've not got much of a choice. Even if we tell someone he's manipulating you he'll still win because he'll get this 'witness' to say you assaulted him and get you locked up. By the way, is there a witness or is Sasuke making the whole thing up?"

Gaara shifted uncomfortably. "When I was doing my community service I lost my temper. There was someone else besides us in the room at the time."

Naruto smiled grimly. "Then he's got us over a barrel. Short of killing him I don't think there's any other way for us to get him to keep his mouth shut." There was a thoughtful glimmer in Gaara's eye. "Don't even think about it! I am not dating someone who murdered my ex-best friend."

Gaara looked slightly put out but decided to change the subject instead of dwelling. "He doesn't want me to wear a dress does he?"

"He just said he'd pick you up and to bring an overnight bag. I've no idea what he's intending on doing."

Gaara was silent then as he mulled over all that he had heard. Naruto was right, the only way he was going to be able to get Sasuke to leave him alone was to go on this date and prove that he wasn't interested in him. Hopefully the Uchiha would then leave him be. If he didn't then Gaara would have to find a new way to get rid of him. He'd cross that bridge when he came to it though. Right now he needed to stop thinking about Sasuke and start enjoying his time with Naruto.

Gaara grabbed the remote and hit the play button. He then snuggled back up to Naruto's side as the movie's theme music began to play.

"Gaara?" Naruto questioned, unsure what the redhead was doing.

"Let's not let that bastard ruin our evening by continuing to talk about him," was all Gaara was willing to say.

Naruto smiled. "Whatever you say," he said as he put his arm around Gaara, bringing the redhead closer for a kiss. The two teens then settled down to watch the movie.

* * *

A few hours later Naruto could barely keep his eyes open. Gaara had put on a horror flick in which a psycho killer picked off a group of teenagers, who were staying in a haunted house, one by one. Usually this kind of movie would have had Naruto holding onto Gaara for dear life, jumping in fright every time the killer unexpectedly appeared on screen. Tonight he was only jumping when somebody on screen screamed and jolted him awake. Gaara smirked every time he did this making Naruto wonder if he'd still be smirking if the blond used him as a pillow.

Eventually Naruto gave up trying to stay awake. It was midnight and he was tired after an exhausting week of school. He collapsed onto his back, his legs overlapping Gaara's. The redhead looked at him with a smirk still playing on his lips. "Is the gore too much for you?"

"No, I just can't stay awake any longer. Now be a good footrest and be quiet."

Gaara pinched his leg without looking. Naruto cursed and tried to kick him but Gaara had his legs held securely. Cursing again Naruto gave up. He'd get Gaara tomorrow when his eyelids didn't feel like they weighed a tonne.

A few minutes later Naruto was snoring softly. Gaara spared him a brief glance before returning his full attention to the film. He wasn't as tired as Naruto and was able to stay awake until the film ended. Seeing as he had already changed into his pyjamas Gaara switched off the TV and crawled into bed with Naruto. Gaara didn't think he needed to worry about being molested that night (or morning, if you wanted to be picky) as Naruto was drooling onto his pillow, clearly showing that he was unconscious. Also, Gaara was sure that he was going to be awake long before Naruto thought about getting up. For this reason he had no reason to fear being intimate with the blond as he would be the only one to know the incident had ever occurred.

Gaara laid his head on Naruto's chest and draped his arm across the blond teen's waist. Naruto's body was warm and oddly comfortable. Gaara smiled to himself, inhaling as Naruto inhaled and exhaling in a rush. It was nice being close to somebody like this, somebody who Gaara trusted and cared for. He couldn't remember ever wanting to be close to anyone else besides Naruto. Maybe he had when he was a child, when he saw his father hug his siblings. Gaara's father had never once embraced him and Gaara wondered if he in his childish innocence had ever asked to be given the same physical affection his siblings received. Maybe, if he had he doubted his father's response was one he wished to remember.

Frowning, Gaara tightened his grasp on Naruto. Naruto was solid and real and not fake. He cared about Gaara in a way Gaara's family never had. Gaara still couldn't grasp why Naruto wanted to be with him and still didn't know his own feelings for the blond. He knew a bond was forming between them but he was still unsure if he should trust it. He had been let down in the past and wasn't interested in letting it happen again. Still, a part of him wanted to try and achieve happiness; Gaara was sure if anyone was going to help him reach his goal it would be Naruto.

However, there were always obstacles that hindered your progress. Sasuke was an obstacle. Gaara didn't understand why he too wanted to be with him. He knew the Uchiha saw him as some sort of prize but how he had become a trophy wife in Sasuke's mind Gaara had no idea. He only hoped Sasuke would lose interest after he had gone on this stupid date with him.

Gaara sighed, trying to clear his mind of all these distracting thoughts. The time for dwelling had passed; it was time to go to sleep. Letting his eyes slip shut Gaara soon joined Naruto in the land of dreams.

* * *

Gaara glared at the contents of his closet. In twenty minutes Sasuke would be picking him up for their 'date'. The very thought of having to spend time with the Uchiha sickened Gaara but (as Naruto had pointed out last night) he had to do it if he didn't want to go to prison.

Gaara flicked through the shirts in his closet, trying to decide what to wear. He had never been on a date before so had no idea what was expected of him. Should he go formal or casual? Or should he wear something hideous to put Sasuke off? It would have helped if Gaara had something to work with but all he had was Naruto's message that Sasuke was taking him out.

Gaara had expected Sasuke would turn up at the community centre to annoy him whilst he carried out his community service. Upon hearing the redhead complain about pain-in-the-ass stalkers Naruto had decided that he would join Gaara so that he could protect him. Gaara had glared at the blond for insinuating he was a helpless damsel that needed protecting but really he had been glad that he wouldn't have to face Sasuke alone. Gaara had then internally laughed as Naruto rushed about to get ready, seeing as they would be leaving in ten minutes and Naruto had only just woken up.

Gaara smiled at the memory of his time at the community centre. Luckily for him Sasuke hadn't turned up and so he had been able to spend a peaceful (well, as peaceful as you can get with the hyperactive blond) day painting. He'd talked with Naruto and engaged in a paint war with him when the blond became bored – a war that left both of them covered from head to toe in periwinkle blue paint.

Naruto had laughed and Gaara had smiled as they surveyed the damage. They looked a right pair with splashes of periwinkle blue all over their faces. Luckily for them the paint they'd been using was cheap so washed off their skin in the shower. They had received a few disapproving glances for their antics but neither boy cared as they had both had a surprisingly fun day.

Gaara's smile disappeared as he returned to the present. He wished he was going on a date with Naruto instead of stupid Sasuke. If it had been Naruto he was about to go out with he'd have had no trouble deciding what to wear. He'd have worn something casual, something that showed just enough skin to tease the blond. Naruto didn't care about being formal – Gaara was sure the blond would just have been happy that Gaara had showed up at all. Sasuke, on the other hand, was expecting something from him. Gaara didn't know what it was (apart from the obvious; the thing that was always on a teenage boy's mind) or whether he could deliver it. If he could did he want to? Sasuke was a bastard and Gaara wanted him to leave him alone but the Uchiha refused to get the message. Maybe he would after this date was over.

Deciding he was wasting far too much time on merely choosing an outfit, Gaara grabbed a pair of dark jeans and a red and black stripped shirt. Coupled with his black trainers Gaara was sure his ensemble would reflect his dark mood.

Once dressed Gaara repacked his overnight bag. That was another thing that irked him, being forced to stay overnight at the bastard's house. It assumed and implied too many things and Gaara wished he could beat the living daylights out of Sasuke without there being any repercussions. Unfortunately there would be ramifications so he would just have to grin and bear it. Or just bear it as Gaara very rarely grinned.

Picking up his bag, Gaara headed downstairs to wait for Sasuke. He passed his older brother Kankuro on the landing. Kankuro stopped to smirk at the bag. "Ever since you got assigned your punishment you've been Mister Popular haven't you?"

Gaara ignored him. He didn't know if Kankuro was being malicious or whether he was just making a friendly joke. Frankly Gaara didn't care. He'd never had a good relationship with his brother or his sister. Plus he was already in a foul mood and just wanted the weekend to be over.

Gaara had only been waiting a few minutes when a black car pulled up outside his house. Sasuke climbed out of the back of it wearing dark jeans, a navy button-down shirt and a jacket with the Uchiha fan logo on the breast pocket. Gaara wasn't sure whether or not to be disappointed that he was appropriately dressed.

Picking up his bag, Gaara met Sasuke at the front door. Sasuke smiled at him in a way that had previously caused many a girl to swoon. Gaara didn't swoon but his insides did clench. He couldn't (and wouldn't) deny the fact that Sasuke was handsome; it was just a pity his personality left so much to be desired.

"Let's get this over with," Gaara growled as he barged past Sasuke.

Sasuke's smile turned into a smirk as he watched Gaara head towards the car. It was going to be a real challenge convincing the redhead that he'd be better off going out with Sasuke instead of Naruto. Good thing Sasuke enjoyed a challenge.

Sasuke quickly caught up to Gaara, his hand landing on the strap of the redhead's bag. "Allow me to carry that for you," Sasuke said charmingly.

"I can carry it myself," Gaara said as he attempted to tug the bag out of Sasuke's grasp.

After a moment Sasuke relented. Gaara smirked triumphantly as he slid into the car, positioning the bag between him and Sasuke. The raven haired teen followed him in, telling the driver to go as he closed the door.

They drove in silence for awhile, Gaara staring out the window at the familiar scenery they passed. Eventually his curiosity got the better of him. "Where are we going?"

Sasuke smirked. "You'll see," he replied cryptically.

Gaara frowned at Sasuke's answer. "Aren't you going to tell me what we'll be doing on this…date?" he asked, struggling to get out the final (degrading) word.

"It's a surprise Gaara. Don't you like surprises?"

"No."

Gaara glared as Sasuke chuckled. He didn't like the haughty expression on Sasuke's face or the almost predatory look in his eyes.

"If you don't like surprises how can you stand to be around Naruto? He has a reputation for surprising people and his surprises aren't always good ones."

"It's none of your business why I like Naruto," hissed Gaara.

Sasuke continued to smile in that imperious way that Gaara hated. "No need to get defensive, I was only pointing out that most would consider you an odd match."

"You think I would be better suited to being with someone like you?" Gaara said scornfully.

Sasuke was suddenly a lot closer, his face mere inches from Gaara's. "No, I think you would be better suited with _me_. I can give you a lot more than Naruto can; I can give you everything you've ever wanted and more. Tonight and tomorrow I'm going to prove to you that I'm a much more suitable recipient of your affections than Naruto will ever be. Remember that, Gaara. Forget about Naruto because tonight you are _my_ boyfriend and you're going to act like it."

"Or what?" challenged Gaara, interpreting Sasuke's silky words as a threat.

Sasuke's smirk was his only reply. The Uchiha turned to face forwards as he relaxed into his seat. Gaara watched him with narrowed eyes before slumping forwards. This date was going as badly as he predicted it would. At least Sasuke hadn't tried to molest him yet.

Gaara wished again that it was Naruto he was sitting next to on the way to this mysterious destination. With a silent sigh he looked out the window, his thoughts still lingering on the exuberant blond as Gaara resigned himself to a crappy evening.

* * *

On the other side of town Naruto was thinking about Gaara with the same melancholy that Gaara was thinking about him. The blond was pacing the length of his bedroom, his brow furrowed with anxiety. Sasuke would have picked Gaara up by now. The blond kept glancing at the clock, trying to estimate how far they had gone and where they would be. He desperately wanted to be out there making sure Gaara was alright but Jiraiya had convinced him against that course of action. It turned out Kakashi had overheard Sasuke and Naruto's conversation all those days ago and reported it to Jiraiya. Ever since then his teacher had been secretly keeping a close eye on him (and Sasuke) to make sure he didn't do anything rash.

According to Jiraiya it would be better if Naruto didn't interfere with Gaara's date. Kakashi would follow the two teens to make sure that Sasuke remained a gentleman and phone if anything interesting happened. Naruto would remain home and fret about Gaara. Naruto knew he was getting a raw deal but he also saw the sense in it. He wasn't very good at being quiet and following people without being noticed – that was Kakashi's speciality. It made more sense if Naruto stayed home and didn't mess up the operation. That didn't mean Naruto liked it though.

Naruto stopped pacing with a sigh. The not knowing what was happening was killing him but he had to deal with it. Gaara was going to be fine, Sasuke wasn't such a bastard that he'd rape or attack the redhead. No, Sasuke could be quite charming and charismatic when he wanted to be. And that was the problem. As much as Naruto knew that Gaara loved him he couldn't help but worry that the redhead would be swayed by Sasuke. People always seemed to flock to Sasuke and force Naruto into the shadows. Naruto knew Gaara was different from other people, that it took a lot to impress him, but that still didn't remove the anxiety from his mind that when he had said goodbye to Gaara earlier that day he had really meant goodbye – forever.

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Sorry people who don't like SasuGaa - it's happening, at least for one chapter. There needs to be some drama and temptation. But NaruGaa will prevail eventually because it is love.

Please Review!


	9. Chapter 9

Hello all, I'm back with a new chapter. I know a lot of people are very much against SasuGaa but I'm hoping they can grin and bear it for this chapter and the next. I know you all hate Sasuke but he's my antagonist and I need to keep him alive as temptation for Gaara. Once that is over you have my permission to maim him in whatever way you feel is appropriate. Although, since I don't actually own Sasuke, it's not really my permission you need to seek but hey ho.  
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Chapter 9**

Kakashi glanced up from his book as the waitress placed the cup of coffee before him. He offered his thanks to the girl, his eyes becoming crescents as he smiled beneath his mask. His gaze then drifted over to the table across the room from him where his marks were sitting. Seeing that all was well he glanced down at his watch and wondered where Obito was.

Right on cue Obito Uchiha stumbled into the restaurant, his glasses and clothes askew. He noticed Kakashi and hurried over, a farfetched excuse about needing to help an old lady across the road spilling from his lips before he'd even taken a seat. Kakashi shook his head; Obito never changed.

Obito finished up his tale and waited for Kakashi's reprimand. When it didn't come he frowned. "What's wrong? Has something happened?"

"Nothing yet," Kakashi replied casually.

Obito's frown deepened. "What's going on Kakashi? I know you said that it was about time we met up again but I didn't expect you to call me and tell me to come to a restaurant without any prior warning."

"Who do you see sitting over there?" Kakashi asked, motioning discretely at his marks.

Obito followed Kakashi's gaze and blinked in surprise. "That's Sasuke. Wow, looks like he's gained another inch since I last saw him."

"Do you recognise the boy with him?"

Obito stared hard at the scowling redhead but he couldn't place him. "Sorry, I don't."

"He's Naruto's boyfriend."

"Really?" Obito asked as he turned back to face Kakashi. "I haven't heard about this. How long has little Naruto been with the cute redhead?"

"Not long," Kakashi answered.

Obito realised that Kakashi was looking at him expectantly. There was another question that Kakashi wanted him to ask. Obito pouted, he always hated this game. Kakashi could never do things the simple way and just tell him what was going on, he always had to make Obito work things out on his own. He had to admit that the skill of deduction he'd learnt from being around Kakashi had come in handy but that didn't mean he didn't find this game very annoying.

Obito turned to look again at the table where Sasuke was sitting. Kakashi must have pointed the young Uchiha out for a reason. Sasuke was leaning back in his chair, the embodiment of cool, as he led the conversation with the redhead. Said redhead was sitting stiff as a board with his arms folded across his chest, a scowl distorting his features. Obito watched as Sasuke finished speaking and waited expectantly for the redhead to say something in reply. The other boy made no move to continue the conversation. Anger flashed across Sasuke's face before he relaxed, a cocky grin making its way onto his face as he made a comment that caused the redhead to tense and glare more heatedly at Sasuke.

It wasn't too long after watching this exchange that a question occurred to Obito. "If the redhead is Naruto's boyfriend what is he doing eating dinner with Sasuke? I know Naruto and Sasuke are friends but I would have thought the kid would have gotten a little paranoid if he found out his boyfriend was going to go on what very much looks like a date with another guy."

Obito internally cheered as Kakashi nodded, signalling that he had asked the right question. His expression then morphed to reflect his inner confusion when Kakashi said, "It looks like a date because it is a date."

After taking a moment to try and work out what was going on Obito gave up. "You're going to have to explain this one to me Kakashi."

"The redhead's name is Gaara. He met and started going out with Naruto roughly two weeks ago. He met Sasuke a week ago. Since then Sasuke has been trying to break up him and Naruto."

"Why?"

Kakashi shrugged. "I have a few theories but nothing solid."

"I can guess too; spoilt brat Sasuke has never been happy letting someone else have something he doesn't," Obito said as he rested his chin upon his knuckle. "Looks like he got his way again if he's got the redhead to go on a date with him."

Kakashi shook his head. "As you may have noticed, Gaara isn't here willingly. He apparently assaulted Sasuke when he tried to make a move on him and now Sasuke is blackmailing Gaara to go on this date. Gaara knows that if he gets one more black mark against his name he'll be going to prison so he's complying with Sasuke's demands."

"What about Naruto? If he knew about this he'd flip."

"Naruto already knows."

Obito stared at him in disbelief. "If he already knows how come one of them isn't sporting a black eye? I've never known Naruto to take betrayal lying down."

"Sasuke told Naruto what he was going to do and let him pass on the message to Gaara."

"Ouch," Obito winced. "Sasuke definitely sunk to a new low with that one."

Kakashi nodded. "I overheard the conversation and reported it to Jiraiya. He asked me if I would keep an eye on them to make sure Sasuke doesn't do anything he shouldn't."

Obito shook his head. "I always knew Sasuke was a bastard but I never thought he'd take such a cheap shot. Then again, everyone in the family except his dad always babied him. I guess it's only natural he turned into a spoilt brat. Living in Itachi's shadow and having his parents die unexpectedly can't have helped."

Kakashi nodded. "Sasuke is a troubled boy with many expectations on his shoulders. That does not excuse his behaviour though."

Obito smirked. "Those who do not care and support their fellows are lower than garbage."

Kakashi nodded, the old motto making him smile. He'd missed spending time with Obito, his best friend, but they were both always busy with work. Kakashi had worked in law enforcement for a few years before he took up the challenge of teaching and Obito worked for the Uchiha Corporation like everyone else in his family. His position was not one of great responsibility but that suited Obito just fine; he didn't need that kind of pressure constantly being placed on his shoulders.

Obito leaned back in his chair, his hands folding behind his head. "So come on, tell me, what's the real reason you called me here?"

"I needed someone to talk to so that it didn't appear that I was following them. And I may also need your help with something else."

Obito dropped his hands as he leaned forward. "What sort of something?"

"After dinner Sasuke is taking Gaara back to his house for a sleepover."

"Shit," Obito whispered in amazement, drawing out the syllables.

Kakashi nodded. "Obviously if Sasuke is planning to do something that is where he'll make his move. I need to find a way to monitor him. That's where you come in."

Obito grinned. "Sounds like fun. I'm in."

Kakashi regarded him carefully. "You're not going to report this to Itachi are you?"

Obito snorted. "Itachi isn't my boss after hours, even if he is head of the clan. You should know by now that I feel no great responsibility to my family."

Kakashi did know. When he'd first met Obito he'd assumed that as an Uchiha the boy would be outstanding in all aspects of life; a true challenge and rival. He'd been frustrated when he found out that Obito was in many ways a disappointment to his family, but then Obito had imposed himself upon Kakashi's life and they had been friends ever since.

Obito leaned back in his chair and turned to look at Sasuke's table. Food had been delivered and both boys were slowly making their way through their meals. Sasuke still seemed to be trying to make conversation and Gaara still seemed to be trying his hardest to ignore him.

Turning back to Kakashi Obito asked, "So how is Naruto? I mean, apart from being pissed off at Sasuke for ruining their friendship, is he doing ok?"

"Naruto's fine. He keeps asking why you haven't shown your face in so long."

Obito laughed as he self-consciously rubbed the back of his head. "Itachi's been piling on the pressure so that this big business deal can be closed as soon as possible. I've been so swamped with work that I've not even had chance to consider going to see him."

Kakashi and Obito had both been students of Naruto's father. He'd helped out with many extracurricular activities and had become very attached to these students in particular. When Naruto had been born he'd played the part of the proud father and brought in his son to show off to his students and colleagues. Obito had quickly adopted Naruto as his younger brother and had always volunteered himself and Kakashi whenever Naruto's father was in need of a babysitter. Even after his teacher's death Obito had stayed close to Naruto. Over the years they had grown further apart but they still considered themselves brothers and tried to meet up whenever they could.

"So what are we going to do whilst we wait for those two to leave?" Obito asked as he reached across the table for Kakashi's coffee.

Kakashi beat him to it, lifting the cup up to his lips as he replied, "I thought we could sit and talk like normal adults."

"That sounds boring," Obito grumbled as he leaned back in his seat.

Obito watched as Kakashi used the coffee cup to cover his mouth as he pulled down the mask so that he could take a sip of the hot beverage. The Uchiha smiled; it was nice to know that even the great Kakashi was a creature of habit.

Watching the silver haired teacher drink his coffee soon became boring. Obito turned his attention back to Sasuke and Gaara, only to see that the scene was as before – Gaara was trying to eat and Sasuke was trying to make him respond to his comments. Obito felt sorry for the poor redhead; he obviously wasn't enjoying himself. From what he had gathered from Kakashi it sounded like the boy was in this mess through no fault of his own, it was all Sasuke's doing. Obito wished he could do something to make the night slightly more bearable for him.

As he continued to watch the pair an idea came to him. With a devious grin on his face Obito flagged down the nearest waiter. The man came over and asked if he would like to order something. Leaning back in his chair Obito shrugged. "Not really. However, I would like to know what the going rate is for 'accidentally' dropping a tray of food on someone."

"Obito," Kakashi warned.

"I'm sorry sir but that is not something we do in this restaurant," the waiter replied stiffly before hurrying back to the kitchen.

Obito deflated. "Don't give me that look," he said sulkily, knowing that Kakashi would be wearing his reproachful expression without even needing to glance at him.

"You never grow up do you?" There was amusement in the voice.

Obito smiled. "I try not to lest I end up stuffy and responsible like you."

Kakashi snorted quietly and took another sip of coffee. "We're here merely to observe, not interfere. I know you're not very good at sitting idly by but those are our orders and we are going to stick with them. This will be a good exercise in patience and restraint."

Obito rolled his eyes. "I thought you dragged me here to talk, not to lecture. Then again," his eyes drifted over to where Sasuke and Gaara were sitting, "even being lectured is probably better than suffering whatever torment that kid is enduring."

* * *

Gaara's head was bowed, his eyes trained on the plate in front of him. He wished Sasuke would just shut up and let him eat in peace but the Uchiha displayed no signs of doing so. With a mentally grieving sigh Gaara continued to block out the annoyingly seductive sound of Sasuke's voice whilst still maintaining a look of indifference. He couldn't let the Uchiha know his true feelings (frustration with more than a hint of boredom and longing for better company) because he wasn't sure what the consequences would be of Sasuke having that knowledge. Gaara didn't want to do anything that would give Sasuke the advantage in this game.

Reaching to the side Gaara took hold of his glass. He allowed a disappointed frown to enter his features as he surveyed the contents – Cola without a trace of alcohol. It seemed he wasn't going to be escaping Sasuke that way tonight.

Masking his irritation Gaara took a sip before he resumed eating, well aware that Sasuke was becoming increasingly annoyed by his lack of response. Good. With any luck the Uchiha would give up on him and this stupid game by the end of dinner and allow him to return home.

Sasuke was about to make another attempt at conversation but he was cut off when a waiter appeared at their table. The man leaned down to whisper in Sasuke's ear but the raven haired teen pulled back. The man's eager expression lessened as he moved to a more acceptable distance away from Sasuke. The volume the man now had to speak at so that Sasuke could hear his message was loud enough that Gaara no longer had to strain to also hear it. "Sir, I think I may have found the man you were expecting. He's sitting at table six and just asked me if I would _'accidently'_ drop food on _'someone'_."

Sasuke's brow furrowed. "Which man?"

"The one with the dark hair and glasses."

Both Sasuke and Gaara glanced across the restaurant in search of this man. There weren't many who matched his description and even if there had been Gaara was pretty sure that he would still have been able to quite easily spot him. With his chair tilted back onto two legs he seemed to project a carefree attitude. His smile reminded Gaara of Naruto's impish grin but his other features seemed to hold more of a resemblance to Sasuke's. He seemed like the likeliest candidate out of all the bespectacled, dark haired males who would want to cause trouble.

Sasuke saw him too and his frown deepened. "He's sent those two to spy on me then," he muttered darkly. He then pulled a crisp new note out of his wallet and handed it to the waiter. The man took it with a polite smile before hurriedly scurrying away in case Sasuke changed his mind.

Gaara stared curiously after the waiter for a moment as he turned the exchange over in his head. Gaara was sure that he had never before seen the man who had tried to ruin Sasuke's outfit, or the man seated with him at table six. Yet Sasuke obviously had since he had immediately recognised them and assumed that they were there to spy on him. Correction, he thought someone had _ordered_ them to spy on him. If that was the case then who was their mystery employer? Itachi? No, from what Gaara had seen of the older Uchiha brother he liked to see the fireworks first hand instead of relying on someone else to paint a picture for him. But if not him then who else would have an interest in Sasuke's love life?

It took a few minutes of pondering the question for Gaara to reach a conclusion that forced him to suppress an elated smile. Naruto would have wanted to know what was happening to him and no doubt his perverted grandfather would have been happy to send someone to make sure his grandson still had a virgin to deflower. And if action had to be taken to make sure Gaara remained pure then he was sure that their orders were to sabotage his date. Gaara was fine with that; if they felt they needed to step in then he was more than willing to let them do so. For once Gaara wouldn't mind people meddling in his affairs seeing as it would be mutually beneficial for both parties.

The knowledge that Gaara was not alone, that there was someone there he could trust to help him if he got into trouble, revived his spirits and the flame of defiance within. There was hope yet that he would survive the night.

Sasuke noticed the change in Gaara's demeanour almost immediately. The corner of the redhead's lips had flickered as if he was about to smile and his eyes had started to gleam with renewed vitality. All night Sasuke had tried to force a response out of the redhead and nothing had worked. He had remained indifferent to all of Sasuke's advances yet the idea that Naruto had sent someone to watch over him made him almost smile!

Consumed by rage and jealousy Sasuke grabbed Gaara's wrist. He jerked the boy forward so that his face nearly became intimate with his dinner. Gaara managed to steady himself with his free arm, surprise flickering across his face before his teal green eyes hardened. He aimed his gaze at Sasuke and was surprised by the amount of barely contained fury smouldering in those dark eyes. The power of the emotion made Gaara want to recoil but the tightening of Sasuke's grip kept him in place.

Sasuke leaned forward so that only Gaara could hear the venomous words he hissed. "You seem to be forgetting that you're _my_ boyfriend tonight. That bastard isn't supposed to exist! You came here because you wanted to be with me, because you'd decided to accept my kind and generous offer to treat you. You're supposed to be _grateful_ that I noticed a common thug like you; you're not supposed to be thinking about somebody else! If you want to keep your freedom you better change your attitude and start acting like you want to be here or I'll go and make a reservation for you in a nice cell with a roommate who will just _love_ your skinny little ass."

The fires of indignation roared to life within Gaara as he listened to Sasuke's speech. The Uchiha's words were fuel to the flame of defiance that the knowledge Naruto had sent someone to watch him had lit and by the end of the speech the flame had become an inferno. Gaara was tired of humouring Sasuke and his delusions; tired of playing his game. He'd had enough and wasn't going to put up with Sasuke's crap any longer.

Jerking his wrist out of Sasuke's grasp Gaara stood up. "Go ahead, go run to the authorities and make your complaint; I'm not scared of prison," he hissed.

Sasuke eyed him carefully, his temper under control and his mask of ice back in place. "You're bluffing."

Gaara sneered at him, his face twisted in contempt. "Am I? Watch me walk away and then tell me I'm bluffing." Gaara made to walk away but Sasuke again caught his wrist and stopped him in his tracks. Gaara turned back to pin the raven haired teen with a fierce glare. "Let go of me," he said slowly in a deadly calm voice.

Sasuke was thinking fast, Gaara could see the gears of his mind turning behind his eyes. He wasn't going to let things end without putting up a fight, without throwing a spanner into the works of Gaara's resolve. He wasn't going to lose this game.

"What would you do if I told you that yours is not the only life I could ruin?" Sasuke asked slowly, his eyes analysing Gaara as the gears continued to turn.

"I don't like repeating myself," Gaara growled, his words as harsh and cold as ice.

"You have a brother don't you? If the police received an anonymous call saying that he'd been dealing drugs and then said drugs were found in his room how do you think that would affect his life, his career?"

Gaara remembered earlier that evening when he had encountered his brother on the landing, his snide comment, the way Gaara had ignored him as always. The lives of his siblings did not affect or concern him. They both avoided him like the plague and he was fine with that. A part of him might feel a twinge of regret if they were dragged into Sasuke's sick game because of him but that part was easily ignored. They had never done anything to protect him from the harsh hand of the law so why should he?

"My siblings don't want to know me and I don't want to know them, same as I don't want to know you," Gaara replied as he tried to wriggle out of Sasuke's hold.

"I see you won't submit for your family but what about your friends?"

That one nearly made Gaara laugh. "I don't have any friends."

"What about Naruto?"

Gaara stopped struggling. His gaze became calm, contemplative even. "I'm sure Naruto has just as much dirt to use against you as you have to use against him. You were _friends_ after all," Gaara added with bitter venom.

Sasuke smirked and shook his head as if Gaara was a naive child who had completely missed the point. "Many people still remember the days when Naruto was a notorious prankster who got into trouble every week without fail. Nobody would really be surprised if he reverted to his old ways. I, on the other hand, have a spotless record. If it comes down to it who do you think will be believed: the prankster or the model student? I could say just about anything about Naruto and they would eat it up without question. Are you willing to be the catalyst of Naruto's downfall?"

"You're a very good liar," Gaara admitted.

Sasuke frowned, not liking that reply. "It's not a lie. Why do you think you were sent to Jiraiya to be reformed? Because he cured Naruto of his delinquency. That was why nobody ever asked what punishment he had cooked up for you. At school Naruto is on his last warning – one more black mark against his name and he'll be expelled. Are you willing to be the one who causes that black mark to appear?"

"It's a school, Naruto won't care that he has to be confined in a different one for another year."

"Maybe not, but his grandparents will. They might not be very strict but they care about Naruto and if they think that his association with someone is going to ruin his life then they will forbid him from seeing that someone ever again."

"If Naruto truly is a rule breaker then I doubt he will listen to his grandparents."

Gaara was doing well at pretending Sasuke's words weren't affecting him but inside he was beginning to feel uncomfortable about the direction this conversation was going. He didn't want Naruto to have to choose between being with him and obeying his grandparents because he had a sinking feeling that Naruto would eventually choose them over him. That was the way things always seemed to happen; Gaara had long since stopped putting his faith in people and their ability to love him. Naruto might be different to most people (that was why Gaara had gone out on a limb and started a relationship with him in the first place) and he might often argue with his grandparents, but deep down he loved his crazy family. If Gaara put him in a position where he was forced to choose Gaara wasn't sure he would come out the winner.

Sasuke stared long and hard at Gaara, his eyes narrowed in concentration. Then he sighed, let go of Gaara's wrist and sat back in his chair. "It seems I'm not going to be able to blackmail you."

Gaara stared at him in astonishment, completely stunned by the fact that Sasuke was suddenly throwing in the towel. It was a very unexpected move on the Uchiha's part.

Crossing his arms over his chest Sasuke pinned Gaara with a look of grudging admiration. "I must admit that I hadn't expected you to last as long as you did."

"What?" Gaara asked, becoming more confused by the second.

"The date. I thought you would have pulled out much earlier, if you'd agreed to go on it at all. Then you managed to keep your head and argue your way out of being blackmailed. You did well."

Gaara looked at him blankly. His reaction (or lack thereof) made Sasuke smile in a way that exuded confidence, but not so much that he would be called arrogant. It was a dark, sexy smile and Gaara was loath to admit that it looked good on him.

"You see, Gaara, I'm a businessman like my father. I'm critical and ruthless and like to get my way. When I saw you at Naruto's house I was intrigued by you. I wanted to know more about you so I decided on a direct approach. When you didn't seem to be the least bit interested I became even more fascinated by you. I sat down and weighed up my options and decided that the benefits of going after you outweighed the benefits of remaining friends with Naruto. So I brought you here and watched as you once again ignored me. I have to admit that that is the one trait of yours I truly dislike. The rest of what you've shown me throughout this ordeal I have found delightful. You'd make a good businessman."

"How so?" Gaara asked carefully, suspicious yet curious as to what Sasuke had to say.

"You played along with my game until you thought the means no longer justified the ends, that you would be supported by others when you made your stand and held to your convictions. And perhaps it would be wrong of me to add that you're a snappy dresser?"

Gaara resented the fact that Sasuke's words created a spark of warmth inside him. It wasn't often that he received compliments from anyone; people usually didn't take the time to notice him. But Sasuke had noticed him and (apparently) he liked what he saw. He was the only one apart from Naruto who had ever really flirted with him, who had ever really implied that he was desirable. And Gaara liked being complimented, he liked being valued, he liked the way Sasuke was looking at him with a mixture of respect and desire. And even though he had the horrible feeling that he was being played he still wanted to sit down and listen to what else Sasuke had to say.

"Is this your new game?" Gaara asked quietly. "Pay me false compliments so that I'll stick around for more? Do I really look that desperate for acknowledgement?" There was anger now in his voice, anger towards Sasuke and his stupid games.

The smile dropped from Sasuke's lips. "They're not false," he said seriously. "You know all the reasons why you should leave, I'm merely explaining all the reasons you should stay."

The blackmailing had made him visit his insecurities, the sudden resignation of the game had taken him by surprise, made him vulnerable and easily taken in by his flattery and his twisted logic. Sasuke truly did play a good game.

Gaara sat down. "I'll stay if you explain what you find so interesting about me."

Sasuke smirked and Gaara knew that he had just willingly walked into the lion's den.

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Please Review!


	10. Chapter 10

I don't think anyone can complain about this chapter being too short as it's over 7000 words XD I am now going to bask in the glory of its completion whilst simultaneously dying of exhaustion.  
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Chapter 10**

"Shouldn't we follow them?"

Kakashi calmly placed the piece of chicken in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed it. Without looking up at Obito he replied, "Let's finish dinner first."

"But they're getting away!" Obito cried, bouncing up and down in his seat.

"There's no point in following them when we already know where they're going."

Obito stopped bouncing. "We know where they're going?"

Kakashi swallowed his next mouthful before replying. "The waiter gave us away so Sasuke knows that we're following him. That being the case I doubt he will want to take Gaara anywhere public as that will create the possibility of us interfering with their date; therefore the only place Sasuke has left to go is back to the Uchiha mansion. Once we've finished eating we'll go there and resume our vigil; there's no point in rushing as it's unlikely that anything will happen until later tonight."

Obito slumped forward, his elbows coming to rest heavily on the table. "I guess you're right," he mumbled as he leaned forward to suck on the straw floating innocently in his drink. There was a brief break in the conversation where Kakashi consumed another mouthful of his dinner and Obito finished off his drink. Releasing the straw from between his lips, Obito looked up at Kakashi with sombre puzzlement and asked, "What do you think happened?"

Kakashi knew instantly what Obito was referring to. Earlier Gaara and Sasuke had gotten into an argument that had resulted in Gaara trying to storm out of the restaurant. He'd never made it to the door because Sasuke had held him back, further infuriating the redhead. Kakashi had thought that he and Obito would have to step in to stop a fight breaking out but the disagreement had been resolved before it had come to that. Kakashi was very adept at lip reading but he had been too far away to properly follow the course of the argument. All he knew was that something important had been said or decided because after the argument Gaara's behaviour had done a 180 degree turn. He had responded to Sasuke's questions, taken part in discussions, and generally seemed to be more relaxed in the Uchiha's presence. At the end of the meal they had left side by side without the tension that had existed when they first entered the restaurant.

"Sasuke must have said something to make Gaara trust him. I couldn't tell what it was."

"So where does that leave us?" Obito asked quietly.

"In the same place we were before the argument. We are merely going to observe their actions and report them back to Jiraiya," replied Kakashi simply.

"And what if we see them doing something that will hurt Naruto?" Obito prodded, his heart twisting at the thought of having to deliver the terrible news of betrayal to one of his most precious people.

Kakashi paused. Finally, cheerlessly, he said, "Let's just hope it doesn't come to that."

* * *

Gaara stepped out of the car and stared up at Sasuke's white stone mansion. It was older and possibly bigger than Naruto's house, the crest upon the front door declaring to all that this house belonged to that of an ancient, noble family. Gaara half expected there to be servants rushing out to greet them and hundreds of peacocks strutting across the great lawns that lay illuminated by tiny lights before the house. He was disappointed when there were no squawks of indignation as the car drove to the back of the house, leaving the two boys alone in a pool of light cast by one of the overhead lamps.

Picking up Gaara's bag, Sasuke headed towards the front door. He peered over his shoulder as he walked, a look that clearly asked if Gaara was going to be following him any time soon situated on his face.

With no more than a slight narrowing of his eyes Gaara joined Sasuke on the porch. The Uchiha led the way into the reception hall, a room decorated with many exquisite paintings and hat stands upon which the multitude of expected guests might hang their coats. Gaara took it all in as he slipped out of his shoes, once again expecting servants to rush out and greet the young master of the house. The expectation lingered as Sasuke led him past rooms with uncomfortable looking furniture that was most likely meant for show more than use.

Eventually they reached a room which appeared to be much more lived in. Itachi was reclining upon one of the comfortable looking sofas, a pair of reading glasses perched on the bridge of his nose and a novel in his hand. He looked up when they entered, a small smile tugging at his lips as he closed his novel. "How was your date?" Sasuke gave a careless shrug, his face a mask of neutrality. "That well huh?" Itachi's smile grew slightly, his eyes flickering towards Gaara and then the redhead's bag in Sasuke's hand. His gaze made Gaara uneasy. It was as if Itachi knew something that he didn't, something important, something that had passed him by when really it should have been obvious.

Itachi's knowing look also seemed to put Sasuke on edge as he quickly replied with, "We're going to my room now and we don't want to be disturbed." Gaara heard the warning in his voice and so did Itachi. The older man regarded Sasuke calmly for a moment, his smile gone, before he returned to his novel. With a small nod of satisfaction Sasuke turned back towards Gaara. "This way," he said with his usual confidence as he walked past Gaara towards the stairs.

Gaara followed, his gaze lingering on Itachi. The eldest Uchiha was likewise regarding him carefully out of the corner of his eye. Gaara suppressed a shiver. He'd never admit it but Itachi scared him. The man had an unnerving interest in him and whenever they met it always seemed like Itachi was about to hatch some evil scheme that would make Gaara's life miserable.

It was with a great sense of relief that Gaara reached Sasuke's room. As soon as he'd crossed the threshold Gaara began drawing comparisons between this room and Naruto's. The most obvious difference was that the walls were royal blue instead of orange. The room was also much tidier than Naruto's – the books, CDs, DVDs were neatly arranged on shelves, clothes were properly secured out of sight, and there wasn't a comic book to be seen. It was much more like Gaara's bedroom than Naruto's.

Sasuke smirked as he watched Gaara analyse his room. "Do you like what you see?"

Gaara's gaze shifted towards Sasuke. He wasn't sure whether Sasuke was flirting or whether he genuinely wanted his opinion on the decor. To avoid making a mistake Gaara shrugged noncommittally and returned to his observations.

The deflection made Sasuke want to chuckle. Gaara was actually pretty cute when he wasn't being hostile and defensive. The serene look upon his face made him look deliciously innocent and it was taking all of Sasuke's self-control to stop him from throwing Gaara onto his bed and devouring him right then and there. Sasuke might like Gaara's fiery defiance but this side of him was just as appealing.

Suppressing a lecherous grin, Sasuke said, "Why don't you choose a film whilst I go get us some drinks?"

Gaara gave a faint nod as he turned in the direction of the DVDs. Sasuke watched as the redhead's eyes widened with delight. Suppressing another smirk the raven haired teen headed down to the kitchen, knowing full well that Gaara's opinion of him had once again risen. It wouldn't be long now until Gaara realized his mistake and Naruto's existence became a thing of the past.

Gaara didn't know how Sasuke had done it but he had managed to find a number of films that Gaara had wanted to see but had never gotten the chance to. As he'd been finding out all night the Uchiha was full of surprises. Underneath his shell of superiority there was a boy who was very much like Gaara. He also felt he had been treated unfairly by his family and the world in general. He was cynical, proud, charming when he wanted to be, and alone. In one of their conversations over dinner Sasuke had told him that his parents had died in a horrible traffic accident, leaving his perfect brother to run the family company when many had thought him too young. Itachi had surpassed all expectations (as usual) and made the company better than before. In the rush to congratulate his brother Sasuke had been forgotten, again as usual. People might have smothered him with sympathy but they had never acknowledged his achievements, the thing he wanted most. He felt isolated because of this, and resentful of the falseness of his family's professed love for him.

Gaara understood what Sasuke was talking about. He didn't think the Uchiha had suffered as much as he had, but he had suffered. Gaara understood what it felt like to be isolated and it endeared him to Sasuke in a way that he wished it wouldn't.

It was obvious that Sasuke was manipulating him. If it had been anyone else Gaara would have broken their nose but because it was Sasuke he felt compelled to wait and see where the Uchiha was leading him. He didn't like the feeling and would have escaped if it hadn't been for the fact that he'd made a deal. After these twenty four hours were up he'd never have to see Sasuke again if he didn't want to. He could last a few more hours in the Uchiha's company; he could resist Sasuke's will until their date truly ended. He wasn't weak – he was strong enough to fight this.

"Have you decided yet?"

Gaara nearly jumped at the sound of Sasuke's voice. He'd been so deep in thought that he hadn't heard the Uchiha return. Hurriedly he shoved all but one of the DVDs back into their proper places. He turned around to show Sasuke his selection and saw what Sasuke had in his hands. Eyeing the bottle of wine suspiciously Gaara asked, "Is your new plan to get me drunk?"

Sasuke smirked. "Lightweight," he accused playfully. Gaara's glare made Sasuke chuckle. "Here, you pour out the drinks and I'll set up the film," Sasuke offered, holding out the bottle and glasses for Gaara to take.

Gaara eyed the offered items suspiciously before exchanging them with the DVD. He placed the glasses on Sasuke's bedside table and poured out a decent amount of wine into each glass. By the time he'd completed his task Sasuke had finished setting up the film and was making his way over. Picking up one of the glasses, Sasuke allowed a drop of the burgundy liquid to pass his lips. He thoughtfully swirled the wine around his mouth before eventually swallowing. He sighed with contentment. "Beautiful vintage," he said as he held his glass up to Gaara's. "Cheers."

They clinked their glasses together and each took a sip. As Gaara contemplated the rich taste Sasuke turned off the lights. Using the glare of the TV screen to guide him Sasuke returned and sat down on the bed. He motioned for Gaara to join him, his smile calm and disarming. Gaara regarded him cautiously, hesitated for a moment, then sat down beside him. As he leaned back against the headboard Gaara made sure that there was a suitable distance between himself and Sasuke. When at last he was comfortable he relaxed and turned his attention towards the opening credits that were slowly creeping across the TV screen.

Having already seen the film at least twice before, Sasuke used the time that it took to introduce the characters to observe Gaara out of the corner of his eye. The redhead's back was straight against the headboard but his shoulders appeared to be relaxed. His gaze was trained on the screen ahead of him; he had no idea that Sasuke was checking him out.

Sasuke smirked. Gaara's shirt clung nicely to his chest and arms, giving a clear outline of his figure and the subtle muscle beneath the skin. The same was true for Gaara's jeans – his legs may be short but they were powerful. In addition, the look of rapt fascination on his face as he absorbed the words of the actors was just adorable. The whole thing worked to make it very hard for Sasuke to control his urge to ravish the redhead. But Sasuke was an Uchiha and Uchiha's were well known for their ability to bide their time and strike at the opportune moment. As long as he stuck to the plan Gaara would be his by the end of their date.

Forcing his gaze back to the screen, Sasuke continued to smirk as he took another sip of wine. It was just a matter of time.

* * *

Obito pulled up just out of sight of the Uchiha mansion. He switched off the engine and turned to Kakashi. "So, what's the plan?"

Kakashi was silent for a moment as he stared in the direction of the foreboding house. "Have you brought any of your work with you?"

"Err, yeah, I have," Obito replied slowly, not expecting the question.

"Good. In that case the plan is that you distract Itachi whilst I spy on Sasuke."

"What!?" Obito cried, outraged. "No way, I am not being the distraction. You're Sasuke's teacher, why don't you distract Itachi with Sasuke's progress report or something?"

"Because it is more unusual for a teacher to visit to report that a student is doing well than for a family member to drop by to give a progress report, query their assignment, or just talk about trivial matters. Besides, you are the one most adept at talking and I am the one most adept at sneaking about unnoticed."

Obito crossed his arms over his chest and muttered angry curses under his breath. Kakashi mentally sighed. Obito could be so childish sometimes. Then again, he was kind of cute when he sulked.

Kakashi paused as he played back that last thought. He quickly dislodged it from his mind; now was not the time to be distracted by such things. "If you have a better plan then I'd be happy to hear it," Kakashi said, slightly more terse than he'd meant to be.

"Why can't we both spy on Sasuke? Why do we need a distraction?" Obito asked moodily

"Because the only way to get into the compound without scaling the walls and being caught by security is to directly approach Itachi. I've analysed the security system and know for a fact that there are no blind spots. The only way we're going to get in is if you drive up to the house whilst I hide in the back. Park at the rear of the house and leave the car unlocked so that I can get out. Once you're gone I'll come out of hiding and find Sasuke."

"But if I leave my car unlocked then somebody might steal it."

Kakashi gave Obito an exasperated look. "What did I just say about security being tighter than my wallet?"

Obito huffed and looked away to hide his embarrassment. "If you're sure there's no other way to get in then I guess we'll have to use your plan," he muttered reluctantly.

Kakashi smiled, his eyes becoming crescents above his mask. "I'm glad you agree. Now, give me a minute to disguise myself before setting off."

Obito continued to sulk as Kakashi moved the junk in the back of his car to the front. Once the silver haired man was hidden under a blanket Obito set off towards the gates of the Uchiha mansion. He carefully suppressed his annoyance with Kakashi and switched into business mode. He'd need to have his wits about him when he talked with Itachi in case the younger man tried to catch him out. He just hoped that Sasuke hadn't told him that he'd seen them at the restaurant otherwise Kakashi's carefully constructed plans would be doomed to fail.

At the gates Obito wound down his window and pressed the button on the intercom. The box crackled as a male voice answered his call with a curt, "State your name and business."

"Obito Uchiha, I'm here to talk with Itachi."

"One moment please."

There was a nerve wracking pause in which Obito wondered if he was going to be refused permission to enter. Maybe Itachi wasn't in; maybe Sasuke had picked today to go on his date because he knew he would have the mansion all to his self. If that was the case what should he do? Should he try and get in anyway? He could try to pull rank with the guard and demand to be allowed in seeing as he was an Uchiha and he had as much right to be there as anyone. It was a ploy that was unlikely to work seeing as most of the staff that worked in the mansion thought they were more important than they really were, but it was worth a try.

Luckily for Obito there was an electronic buzz and the gates swung open. Winding up his window Obito set off up the driveway with a sigh of intense relief. Phase one of Operation Infiltration was complete.

As Obito drove, Kakashi whispered some last minute instructions. "Call me if things go badly. Pretend to call your mother and say that you had to make a stop at Itachi's before you visited. When I'm ready to leave I'll call you and pretend to be a salesman. If you have any questions you better ask them now."

"Don't worry, I'm good," Obito muttered as he parked at the back of the mansion.

Switching off the engine, Obito gathered up his things and climbed out of the car. He closed the door and won over the instinct to lock up just in time as his finger had already begun to gravitate towards the button. Taking a deep breath, Obito headed towards the house, leaving Kakashi alone in the car to carry out his part of the plan.

Having visited the Uchiha mansion many times before Obito was able to navigate his way through the maze of rooms to the one where Itachi had taken residence. The younger man was reading when Obito arrived but put his book away as soon as he noticed his cousin's presence. "Obito, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" Itachi asked, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Obito swallowed his nerves and plastered a cheery smile onto his face. "Well I was just sort of passing when I realized that I hadn't given you a business report before I clocked out on Friday."

"No different to normal then," Itachi said, his tone laced with amusement.

Obito chuckled nervously, one hand reaching up to scratch the back of his head. "Yeah well I thought I'd actually make an effort this week and seeing as you'll probably be swamped on Monday and not have much time for that sort of thing I decided to come make my report now."

Itachi nodded. "Very well. Sit down and give your report."

Obito nodded as he sat down. Now came the hard part seeing as he hadn't actually prepared anything for Itachi. It seemed he'd have to make it up as he went along. With a mental sigh Obito hoped that Kakashi was having a better time than he was.

* * *

Once Kakashi was sure that nobody was looking he slipped out of the car and into the mansion. Following his mental blueprint of the house the silver haired teacher took the quickest route that wasn't monitored to Sasuke's room. Once there he pressed his ear to the door and listened. He could hear screams from the other side of the door but he was relatively certain that they came from a film instead of from the occupants of the room so he was not unduly alarmed.

When Kakashi was satisfied that he couldn't hear anything apart from the noise made by the film he moved to check on the room next door. It was deserted and by the looks of it only used for storage. Kakashi quickly searched for a patch of wall that he could deface without making it too obvious. Ideally he'd have chosen a spot underneath a picture frame but there were none of those – the entire wall was unadorned by anything personal such as pictures.

Kakashi was forced to settle for a space behind a large pile of boxes that had been pushed against the wall. Kneeling down so that he was level, Kakashi pulled out a small screwdriver. Pressing it against the wall he began to twist it so that a small hole slowly began to form. The idea was that he would drill all the way through to the other side and feed a small camera through so that he could observe what was happening behind closed doors.

It took many minutes of careful, silent, drilling but eventually Kakashi made it through to Sasuke's room. Placing his hand into his pocket he pulled out the small camera and gently placed it in the hole. As he began to push it in Sasuke's direction Kakashi silently thanked the technicians he'd had the pleasure of knowing who'd cooked up this little wonder for him when he was in law enforcement. He might not be using it for the purposes they'd intended but he was sure that they'd agree that it was for a good cause.

The camera was half way to its destination when Kakashi froze. His phone was vibrating.

Kakashi scrambled to find his phone, silently praying that it was another teacher asking if he wanted to go out for a drink or Jiraiya wanting a status report. His prayers weren't answered. Obito's caller ID filled Kakashi with dread. Something had gone wrong.

* * *

Obito slumped back into the sofa, mentally sighing with relief. He'd made a pretty good speech (considering it was improvised) about his recent activities and successes in the company. For a second he'd thought he wouldn't have enough to say but it turned out he knew more about his job than he first thought.

Itachi continued to look at the file Obito had presented him with for another minute before slowly closing it. He looked up and calmly said, "So basically what you're saying is business as usual?"

Obito stared blankly for a moment before forcing a smile and a, "Yeah, I guess it is."

Itachi nodded. "Why didn't you just say that initially?"

Obito floundered. "Because, well, I thought you'd want a thorough report."

"Instead of the half-arsed scribble you usually submit?" Itachi finished, a sardonic smirk gracing his lips.

"Err, yeah," Obito said, looking down at his hands instead of at Itachi's satirical face. "I mean, people are always complaining about how I never put any effort in and how I'm a total slacker cry baby so I decided I'd show them by being amazingly efficient and giving you the best report you'd ever seen."

Unfortunately Itachi was still smirking. "There are three reasons why I believe you are lying. The first is that if you actually cared what those people thought of you you'd have proved them wrong years ago. The second is that I know you can do much better than throw files at me and blurt out the first thing that comes into your head."

Obito winced. Maybe he wasn't as good at improvisation as thought. "And the third reason?"

"This is too subtle for you. Somebody else has planned this and I think I know who. And why."

Obito began to sweat. He'd been caught red handed. Should he confess now and throw himself on Itachi's mercy or should he try to bluff his way out of it? Should he jump up and call his 'mother' before making a quick getaway? Should he knock Itachi out then spread a load of empty vodka bottles around the body so that when he woke up he'd think it all a drunken dream?

As Obito continued to run through his options Itachi began to chuckle. Obito stared at his cousin – he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Itachi show that much emotion. The young businessman was usually so composed that hearing him chuckle (even if it was a controlled, slightly creepy chuckle) was almost too surreal for Obito.

When Itachi was finished his expression returned to that of quietly amused. "I'll put my cards down on the table if you'll do the same," he said, a misplaced twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Obito asked, silently questioning his cousin's mental stability.

"I know you're here with Kakashi to spy on Sasuke." Before Obito could protest Itachi finished with, "I'm doing the same thing."

That one well and truly threw Obito. Before he could ask for an explanation Itachi stood up and motioned for Obito to follow. The elder Uchiha did so slowly, wary but curious as to where he was being led. He tried to frame his thoughts into a question but when Itachi led him into a locked room that was no more than a chair and a wall of TV monitors his train of thought was quickly derailed.

After a moment in which his brain had a chance to reboot Obito tried to recapture the lost thoughts but, when Itachi switched on the monitors and typed something on the keyboard, Obito's jaw dropped and all mental processes were again stopped.

"Shit, Itachi," Obito whispered, half horrified, half admiring.

"I think my father had it installed so that he could keep an eye on us," Itachi mused as he stared at the images on one screen. He then turned to Obito and said, "I think Kakashi might also like to see this."

Obito hurriedly scrambled for his phone. As soon as Kakashi had picked up Obito said, "Kakashi, you're not going to believe this."

* * *

"I don't believe it," Kakashi said as he stared at the monitor along with Obito and Itachi.

The screen was split into four squares. Each square was playing the live feed that was coming direct from the four cameras set up in Sasuke's room. When Itachi pressed a button three of the squares disappeared and the remaining square filled the screen. The image of Sasuke and Gaara sat together on the bed could be clearly distinguished by all present.

"You're saying your dad set up a load of cameras in Sasuke's room?" Obito questioned Itachi as he continued to stare in amazement at the screen.

"And in the rest of the house," Itachi said with a half shrug. "He became quite paranoid before he died."

"That's an understatement," Obito muttered. Then, as an afterthought, "Have you got any popcorn?"

Itachi reached into one of the desk drawers and pulled out a half eaten bag of popcorn. At the curious looks he received Itachi simply said, "People are very amusing when they don't realise they're being watched."

Obito snorted and took the popcorn. This was a whole new side of Itachi that he'd never encountered before. It turned out the guy actually had a sense of fun and humour, even if it was slightly warped. It was kind of nice to know that the family wasn't being run by a robot disguised as a sadistic human being.

Armed with popcorn the three men sat (or stood, seeing as there wasn't enough room for three chairs) back and watched the reality show that was Gaara's life.

After a few minutes of peaceful viewing a movement caught their attention and they all leaned forward. The real drama was about to begin.

* * *

Sasuke finished off the wine in his glass and turned his attention to Gaara. The red haired teen was clutching his own glass against his chest, his drink almost forgotten as he watched another actor die dramatically. Sasuke smirked; now seemed as good a time as any to initiate the next part of the plan.

Keeping his eyes trained on the movie Sasuke scooted closer to Gaara. The shifting of the mattress caught the redhead's attention and, when Sasuke's thigh bumped into his own, his head snapped around to see what the Uchiha was up to. Sasuke glanced at him, his face a mask of serenity. Twisting, the raven haired teen leaned past Gaara and picked the wine bottle off the bedside table. Sasuke refilled his glass and then held out the bottle to Gaara. "Would you like a top up?"

Gaara shook his head. He took the bottle from Sasuke and placed it back on the table for him.

As he turned back to the film Gaara could sense Sasuke's eyes upon him. He could also feel Sasuke's leg still pressed up against his. Gaara was unsure whether he should allow such contact to occur. On the one hand he knew from experience that Sasuke had no qualms about making a move on him; he should tell the Uchiha to move his leg and make sure that the dark haired teen knew that he wouldn't tolerate cheap tricks. On the other hand, over the course of the evening Gaara had taken a liking to Sasuke. If Sasuke genuinely didn't realise that he was in a position that was making Gaara uncomfortable then Gaara didn't want to go through the embarrassment of enlightening him.

Mentally slapping himself, Gaara realised that Sasuke's earlier predatory gaze meant that he knew the contact was unwelcome. Gaara turned towards Sasuke and was about to tell the Uchiha to move back to a suitable distance when Sasuke (his gaze now directed towards the TV screen) raised his arm and placed it around the redhead's shoulders.

Gaara immediately stiffened. His eyes narrowed as he carefully watched Sasuke's casual expression. He didn't like it, the expression was too casual for someone putting their arm around a person they hardly knew – Sasuke was up to something.

Gaara was about to remove Sasuke's arm when the Uchiha leaned across him to place his still full glass of wine on the bedside table. Suitably distracted by Sasuke's noticeable proximity, it took Gaara a moment to respond when Sasuke plucked his own glass from his hands.

"What are you-"

Sasuke leaning down to kiss him effectively prevented Gaara from finishing his sentence. The action took Gaara by surprise, his teal green eyes widening in astonishment as they met Sasuke's ebony black ones. His heart started hammering against his ribs and Gaara wasn't sure whether it was just his shock that caused it to do so. The feel of Sasuke's lips upon his was surprisingly nice and the smell of the Uchiha's cologne when he got up close and personal was intoxicating. Gaara's head was spinning from the overpowering smell of it, his mind blanking for a moment as it tried to make sense of the situation. Sasuke Uchiha was kissing him and he _liked it_!

Without really knowing what he was doing Gaara began to kiss back. Sasuke smirked as he caught Gaara's bottom lip between his teeth, applying pressure to the sensitive bit of skin. Gaara gasped and freed his lip, only to smash it back against Sasuke's in another bruising kiss.

Feeling his neck beginning to ache, Sasuke straddled Gaara's hips before resuming his attack on the redhead. Gaara responded eagerly, his tongue pressing past Sasuke's lips as he took control of the kiss.

Sasuke was surprised by how exhilarating it was to be dominated. Pushing his tongue against Gaara's, Sasuke rolled them so that Gaara was laid over him. The redhead was momentarily disorientated by the change but quickly adjusted to the new position. His tongue met Sasuke's and they began another battle for dominance of the kiss.

Taking the initiative, Sasuke ran his hands up Gaara's sides, causing the boy above him to shiver. Sasuke smirked, his hands questing out again to find what other reactions he could elicit from the redhead.

It wasn't until the cool air stroked his bared chest that Gaara returned to his senses. What was he doing? Sasuke wasn't Naruto, he wasn't his boyfriend. They might be on a date but that meant nothing when Naruto was at home waiting for him to return and tell him how horrible the twenty four hours had been, how much of an ass Sasuke was, how Gaara was glad that he'd never have to put up with the son of a bitch ever again. Naruto was Gaara's boyfriend – not Sasuke. Gaara shouldn't be kissing Sasuke, not when he had Naruto waiting for him. It was wrong. It was what Sasuke wanted.

When Gaara went rigid and unresponsive Sasuke paused. He gazed into Gaara's eyes and saw that they had adopted a glazed, faraway look. Frowning, wondering what the redhead was thinking about so intently, Sasuke gently cupped Gaara's cheek and whispered his name.

Gaara immediately jerked, eyes blinking rapidly as he came back to the present. He stared down at Sasuke, his face becoming blank as the gears in his head whirled madly. Slowly, he sat up, his face still blank as he stared at a point beyond Sasuke.

Not liking this turn of events Sasuke also sat up. "Gaara," he started but was cut off by a blow to the face that sent him flying back to his vertical position on the bed.

Sasuke was startled by the surprise attack but recovered quickly. Clutching his aching jaw he turned his furious gaze on Gaara, ready to demand an explanation and perhaps return the favour.

The look Gaara gave him stopped the words from coming. If Sasuke had been furious then Gaara must have been murderous. A vicious snarl pulled at the redhead's lips and his stormy green eyes burned with hate, the dark rings somehow making him seem even more menacing. It was clear Sasuke was in trouble.

Seizing the collar of Sasuke's shirt, Gaara pulled the Uchiha toward him. At this distance he could feel Sasuke's breath on his face, could see clearly the fear that had crept into his eyes. The fear delighted the sadistic part of Gaara's personality that truly began to shine when the redhead really lost his temper like he had right now. Sasuke wasn't easily going to forget this encounter.

"You wanted this to happen didn't you? You wanted me to kiss you so that you could go and tell Naruto that I was a cheater. Why? Why are you so obsessed with breaking us up? Is that how you get your kicks? Making people believe that you're their friend and then betraying them? Tear out their heart and crush it before their eyes? I can't believe I ever felt anything but contempt for you."

"I wasn't trying to hurt you-"

"Don't lie to me!" Gaara hissed, dragging Sasuke closer.

Grabbing onto the wrist holding his shirt, Sasuke looked calmly into the eye of the storm. "I wanted to break you up because I wanted you for myself. Admittedly part of your attraction was that you already belonged to Naruto, but there were other reasons why I wanted you that I've already explained. You sell yourself short Gaara; you're very attractive."

"Don't try to flatter me."

"I'm not." Sasuke paused and took a deep breath. "You act surprised, like you never expected any of this to happen. When I said I was going to take you on a date I meant it in the sense that I would try to woo you. Kissing is all part of the process and the fact that you kissed back shows that you are just as attracted to me as I am to you."

"I am not."

"Yes, you are."

They stared at each other in silence, determined not to be the first to break eye contact. Eventually Gaara got fed up of the game and punched Sasuke in the stomach, relishing the rasping gasps of pain the blow caused.

"For a moment I was attracted to you, but then you betrayed me and put an end to all foolish notions I had about trusting you," Gaara sneered.

Sasuke glared at Gaara, his eyes two burning coals of rage. "You never trusted me to begin with. Even when you supposedly started calling me your friend you were still analysing my every move, wondering what my real motives were. How can I betray your trust when I never had it? Then again, you don't trust Naruto either so I shouldn't have expected to be given such a precious thing so soon should I?"

Gaara punched Sasuke a third time.

The Uchiha coughed as pain laced through his abdomen. His coughs soon became chuckles as he faced Gaara once again, a smirk twisting his features. "You're angry because I hit a sore spot. You like to believe that you trust Naruto but you don't really. You're just as suspicious of him as you are of everyone else."

Gaara growled and hit Sasuke a fourth time.

Sasuke didn't try to block the expected blow. He took it and laughed, knowing that would infuriate Gaara more. "You're angrier at yourself for betraying the trust you know Naruto has in you than you are at me. You're just using me as a punching bag so that you'll feel better. I always knew you had the potential to be a villain."

"You're wrong; I'm not a villain and I'm not angry at myself. I know you're the one to blame for all this," Gaara hissed, his clenched fists trembling with barely suppressed rage.

Sasuke smirked arrogantly. "Are you sure about that?"

Gaara's fist connected with Sasuke's face one last time before he let go of the Uchiha's shirt and climbed off the bed. He hated to admit it but Sasuke was at least partially right. He'd kissed back; he'd encouraged the Uchiha to continue his advances. Ultimately Sasuke was the one who had planned for this to happen (the blame belonged to him) but Gaara couldn't help feeling slightly guilty for being tempted, for giving in to him. He'd suspected Sasuke would try something like this and he'd acted too late to stop him, and for that Gaara was angry at himself.

Gaara was also angry that Sasuke had been able to read him so easily. He'd thought he'd done a good job of hiding his still present reservations about Naruto and their relationship. As much as he cared for the blond Gaara was still having a hard time accepting that somebody else cared for him. For so long he'd been suspicious of every act of kindness a person showed him that it was hard to stop now, and Sasuke with his constant manipulation and mind games wasn't helping.

Rubbing his jaw, Sasuke sat up. He regarded Gaara's back thoughtfully for a moment before saying, "You really are loyal aren't you?"

Gaara was tempted to ignore Sasuke but decided against it. He didn't want the Uchiha to read his silence like he had before. Without turning to look at Sasuke Gaara replied with, "I know what it's like to be betrayed by somebody you trust. I wouldn't wish the experience on anyone else."

Sasuke became silent again, his expression still thoughtful. "I guess I can wait."

Gaara frowned and turned to stare questioningly at the raven haired teen. "What?"

"I'm intelligent enough to see that my attempts to seduce you aren't going to work until you get over Naruto. That's why I'm willing to wait until you've finished with him before again making a move on you. And, while I'm waiting for that to happen, I hope we can be friends," Sasuke answered calmly.

Gaara had to laugh at that one. "After everything you've put me through you think I still want your friendship? You think after tonight I'll want to have anything to do with you?"

"I think you're still just as intrigued by me as you were earlier this evening. I think you're still curious as to what other tricks I have up my sleeve, what other surprises I have in store." Sasuke smirked as he casually picked up his glass of wine and leaned back against the headboard. "You can deny it all you want but I know you're interested. So why fight it? You're better having me as your friend than as your enemy."

Sasuke held out his hand for Gaara to shake. Gaara regarded the hand warily, unsure if this was another one of Sasuke's tricks. The dark haired teen was right that Gaara was still fascinated by the complex being that was Uchiha Sasuke, but that didn't mean that Gaara wasn't still angry with him for manipulating him. He felt like he should punch Sasuke for his audacity but, once again, Gaara wanted to know what prompted him to use such an unexpected approach. His curiosity and his anger were at war with each other and it gave Gaara a headache.

Closing his eyes, Gaara ran through his options. Sasuke had said that if he went on this date with him he'd stop pursuing him but Gaara doubted he'd stick to that promise. If he accepted Sasuke's friendship then the Uchiha should be more bound to that promise and postpone his attempts to seduce him. However, if Gaara rejected his friendship then Sasuke might be enraged and double his efforts to break up him and Naruto. Therefore it would be more beneficial for him to accept Sasuke's friendship, at least for now. A friendship wasn't a binding contract – he could back out if he felt Sasuke was the only one benefitting from the association – and just because he'd be Sasuke's friend wouldn't mean that he'd have to trust him; Gaara could get close to Sasuke and still be suspicious of his actions. The only downside would be that he'd have to endure more of Sasuke's company. But, if you thought about it, was that really such a terrible thing?

"Come on; is it really that hard a decision to make?" Sasuke goaded, his hand still extended.

Gaara opened his eyes and glared at Sasuke before slowly, hesitantly, placing his hand in Sasuke's. The Uchiha shook it slowly, sealing the deal.

"You made the right decision," he said whilst smiling like the cat that had gotten the cream.

Gaara hoped that was true because, at that moment, he felt like he'd just sold his soul to the devil.

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed the Sasuke abuse. And I hope those who seriously dislike SasuGaa didn't suffer bleeding of the eyes. I promise that there won't be any more of it for awhile. There may be more evil, scheming Sasuke but it will be accompanied with NaruGaa romance. I hope. The minute I think I know where this story is going it heads in the opposite direction *Sigh*

Please Review!


	11. Chapter 11

Before you start throwing rotten fruit at me you should know that the lateness of this chapter is not my fault. My muses have all refused to cooperate with me - Gaara in particular. If you want to blame someone blame them. And exams.

A big thank you to everyone who reviewed; you've really helped me to work through my block. I hope you like this chapter because Sasuke doesn't make an appearance, at all. Instead we have NaruGaa bonding goodness. And humour. And possibly fluff.

Also, if you go to my profile I have a poll to decide the ending pairing. To threesome or not to threesome?  
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Chapter 11**

Gaara had imagined that his first meeting with Naruto after his date with Sasuke would be uncomfortable. He'd assumed that there would be embarrassed silences and the inability to make eye contact. He'd envisioned Naruto with his smile replaced by a distrustful frown. He'd thought that everything would be different.

He'd never suspected that he would be bowled over by an overenthusiastic Naruto before he'd even had the chance to ring the doorbell.

"Gaara!" Naruto cried in delight as he nuzzled the redhead's chest. "I missed you so much! What happened? Did that bastard hurt you? Did you hurt him? Did he try to get you drunk? Did he kiss you? Was he better than me? No, don't answer that one; just tell me that you're alright and that you never want to go out with that bastard again."

When Gaara didn't respond to Naruto's barrage of questions and pleas the blond looked up and came face-to-face with a slightly blue lipped redhead. It took a moment for Naruto's brain to link Gaara's extra pale complexion with his bone crushing hug, but once the relationship had been established Naruto immediately released his friend, allowing the redhead to sit up and drag fresh oxygen into his starved lungs.

Laughing awkwardly, Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Sorry about that; I guess I got a bit carried away."

Coughing, Gaara turned to glare at Naruto. "Don't," he hissed huskily, "do that. Ever again."

Naruto nodded, his hands held up in a placating gesture. "Right, got it; bear hugs bad, personal space good."

Gaara glared for a moment longer before closing his eyes, sighing deeply as he dropped his head to his chest. When he looked up again his expression was guarded, his lips pursed as if the words that sat on his tongue left a bitter taste in his mouth. Naruto immediately began to worry.

Before the blond could ask Gaara what was wrong a familiar shadow loomed over the two teens. Naruto looked up to see Jiraiya leering down at him, his lips twisted in a perverted grin. "Now, now children; I know you're happy to see each other but the neighbours don't need to be subjected to your gloriously _loud _reunion."

Seeing the wicked twinkle in his grandfather's eyes Naruto jumped to his feet, a deep blush staining his cheeks. "You pervert, we weren't having sex on the lawn!"

"Of course you weren't," Jiraiya said carelessly as he turned away, barely restraining his evil cackle.

Naruto glared after Jiraiya's retreating back, his cheeks still red with embarrassment. He was about to follow his grandfather and continue the argument when he remembered Gaara. Turning to the redhead he smiled sheepishly, his hands held out in a helpless gesture. "The Old Perv has the ability to make an innuendo out of anything."

A look of mild confusion passed over Gaara's features as he turned to Naruto. "Does he know that I went on a date with Sasuke?"

The smile disappeared as Naruto nodded. "My teacher overheard Sasuke telling me his plans and informed the Old Perv."

Gaara's confusion seemed to grow at this. "And he's not angry with me?"

Naruto shrugged. "He knows you were forced into the situation; I guess he trusts you to be faithful."

Gaara looked down, his brows crinkled in concentration. Naruto smiled sadly at the sight. He'd already guessed that something had happened during the course of Gaara's date. He wasn't surprised; he hadn't expected Sasuke to make it easy for him. Like all Uchihas, when Sasuke wanted something he made sure that he got it. The raven haired teen had probably used all the tricks in the book to charm the pants off Gaara and manipulate him into positions he now regretted.

Naruto's mind stuttered to a halt as he replayed that last thought. The ambiguity of it disturbed him. He knew Gaara wasn't the type of person to sleep around, but that didn't stop him feeling queasy when he saw the confusion in the redhead's eyes. Naruto knew from experience that Sasuke was good at exploiting people, knew how easy it was to be misled by the Uchiha. If Gaara had let his guard down for just a second Sasuke could have seized the opportunity and convinced him to do anything. Because Sasuke knew how to hurt Naruto and this was all about hurting him.

Pushing that line of thought to the back of his mind, Naruto plastered a smile onto his face and held his hand out to Gaara. The redhead jumped, startled out of his own thoughts by the unexpected action. Naruto continued to smile as he said, "Are you going to sit there all night or are you going to come in?"

Gaara stared at the hand apprehensively before slowly, cautiously, taking it in his own. He allowed Naruto to pull him to his feet and for the blond teen's hand to linger on his. Then he ended the contact and waited for Naruto to lead him inside.

Once they were safely inside Naruto's bedroom both boys perched on the edge of the bed, leaving a sizable gap between them. They remained silent for awhile, both considering how best to start the conversation, before they both tried to speak at once. Naruto grinned and even Gaara could see that the expression had needed some persuasion to settle on his face. "You go first," the blond offered.

Nodding, Gaara took a deep breath and told Naruto about what had happened at the restaurant, how Sasuke had intrigued him with his carefully constructed game, and then what had later occurred at the Uchiha mansion. Gaara had gone through that part slowly, his eyes not meeting Naruto's. He'd decided the night before that he wasn't going to leave anything out in case Sasuke tried to spin his own story to Naruto. If Naruto was going to hate and reject him he might as well do it now so that Gaara didn't have to live with the constant fear, and the guilt. Because in a way this was his fault. If he'd only seen Sasuke's intentions sooner, if he'd pushed the Uchiha away when they'd first started kissing, if he hadn't enjoyed it…That was the worst part – he'd enjoyed having Sasuke kiss him, touch him, writhe underneath him. That was why he knew Naruto was going to reject him; there was no way Naruto would put up with an unfaithful loser like him. He'd dump him, right there on his bed, and Gaara would punch him and storm off, cursing himself for putting his trust in humanity when he knew they were vile, deceitful creatures that only caused him pain. Then he'd go home, find the pocketknife that had gathered dust at the back of his sock drawer, and once again contemplate the reason for his existence.

Naruto stared down at his clenched fists as Gaara recited his tale of the night before. He'd been right – Sasuke had made a move on Gaara. The blind fear morphed into something concrete and very real.

Gaara had said it himself; he'd admitted that he'd enjoyed kissing Sasuke. The anger and jealousy that statement created within Naruto was enough to nearly make him lash out. Gaara shouldn't have enjoyed it; he should have been repulsed by the idea of Sasuke being near him. That was what he'd said before, over and over again, that he couldn't stand the Uchiha; Naruto couldn't understand how he had moved from loathing to playing tonsil tennis in the space of one night. It wasn't right.

"Was he better than me?" Naruto asked, the bitterness and feelings of betrayal making his tone venomous.

Gaara looked at him, surprise flittering across his features. "Better?"

"At kissing. Was he better than me?"

"No."

Naruto felt like a small weight had been lifted, his shoulders sagging slightly as part of his jealousy left him. That was one thing to be thankful for.

Naruto glanced at Gaara and saw the redhead watching him carefully. The other boy flinched and looked away, the pain in his eyes quickly hardening into resolve. "I can tell that you hate me," Gaara murmured without looking at him.

Naruto blinked, taken aback by Gaara's statement. What made him think that he hated him? Sure he was angry (and with good reason) but that didn't mean that he hated him.

It was at that point that Naruto noticed his fists were still clenched. He forced his hands open, spreading his fingers across his thighs. He took a deep breath, relaxing the rest of his tense muscles. He hadn't realized he'd become so wound up; he could only image how he'd looked to Gaara. No wonder the redhead had flinched.

"Gaara, I don't-"

"I don't blame you for hating me. What I did…" Gaara paused before shaking his head. "It doesn't matter." Gaara stood up; his shoulders tense and his face an emotionless mask. "I'll let myself out. I promise I won't bother you again."

As the redhead began to walk away panic surged through Naruto, overriding his anger. Gaara couldn't leave, especially not with the belief that Naruto hated him. Before the redhead had taken two steps Naruto had jumped to his feet and grabbed his wrist. Gaara's eyes widened in shock as he was pulled towards the blond, their chests colliding as Naruto placed his free arm around Gaara's waist. Their lips connected a moment later, sending a jolt of electricity through both of them. Gaara gasped, and Naruto used the opportunity to press forward into the redhead's mouth. Gaara responded by grasping Naruto's bicep and pushing his body further against the blond teen's, his mask of neutrality crumbling as Naruto's tongue roved across the planes of his mouth.

Naruto opened his eyes and took a deep breath. Gaara's teal green eyes, alive with emotion, stared back at him. Naruto smiled. For once the rash thing seemed to have been the right thing.

Taking another deep breath, Naruto said, "Look, Gaara, what you did – kissing Sasuke – I half expected it to happen." As Gaara's eyes widened with alarm Naruto quickly amended, "What I mean is that I expected Sasuke to try to kiss you. He doesn't like to lose and if he really did arrange that date with the intention of stealing you away from me then I knew he'd do anything to ensure he achieved his goal. So I expected him to make a move. What I didn't expect was you liking the fact that he'd made a move." Naruto's gaze dropped from Gaara's eyes to his chin. "It hurts me to think that you enjoyed kissing someone else. To know that you allowed him to touch you makes me sick and angry; it makes me feel like you've betrayed my trust. But even though I have all those emotions churning about inside me, the one emotion I don't have is hate. At least, not for you. I know this isn't your fault; I know you regret the mistake you made, and I can't hate you for that."

Once again Naruto locked gazes with Gaara, a small smile forming on his lips at the look of wonder and amazement in those deep green orbs.

Cupping Gaara's cheek, Naruto finished with, "Most importantly, I know that even though I'm not in much of a forgiving mood at the minute things will be different in a week or so. I don't want to lose you because Sasuke is determined to insert himself into your life; that isn't fair on either of us. That's why I don't want you to go. That's why I want to try and make things work." Releasing Gaara, Naruto stepped back and scratched the back of his head, a goofy smile on his lips. "Plus there's no way I'm going to lose to that bastard. I want to be able to rub the fact that I have a smoking hot boyfriend and he doesn't in his face. If I broke up with you it'd be hard to taunt him with the fact that I'm way sexier than he'll ever be."

Gaara stared at him wordlessly, the blank mask back in place. Naruto stopped grinning, his hand dropping back to his side. It was hard to tell what Gaara was thinking; hard to know how he was reacting to Naruto's speech. He appeared calm but appearances could be deceiving; for all Naruto knew he could be about to laugh or turn and slap him.

After a moment of uneasy contemplation Gaara asked the question that was plaguing him. "Why?"

Naruto blinked. "Why what?"

"Why would you ever contemplate forgiving me? I've proven myself disloyal – I cheated on you with an _Uchiha._ If it had been the other way around I would have killed you for betraying me like that. Yet you're not disgusted by me; you seem sure that it was a one time mistake that won't be repeated. How can you have such faith in someone who has caused you so much pain?"

"Would it make you feel better if I punched you?" When Gaara didn't react Naruto smiled and shrugged. "You made a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes; I know I've made plenty. Don't get me wrong – I'm still pretty pissed at you – but I couldn't stand there and do nothing while you walked away. We might not have known each other for long but that doesn't mean I wanted to end our relationship like that. I like you, Gaara, I really do." At this Naruto blushed and looked away from Gaara's penetrating stare, one hand unconsciously moving to the back of his neck. "I'm an optimist and like to think the best of people. I'm sure it would be easy to write you off as a lost cause, but that just isn't how I work. When I meet someone and feel a connection I badger them until they acknowledge me and become my friend. Even if I get pushed away or hurt I keep trying until I get what I want. After losing my parents I treasure all the bonds I have with people and I hate severing them.

"I guess that's why I'm so mad at Sasuke right now – he's forcing me to sever my bond with him. I can't be his friend whilst he tries to steal you from me; I'm not strong enough or good enough to do that. That's why I'm angry, at him and at you, even though I know I shouldn't be. It's not his fault he has issues and it's not your fault he's a manipulative bastard. I _know_ it's not your fault, but that doesn't stop me from getting angry or jealous. I just…I can't bear the thought of losing you."

Silence descended on the room as Naruto finished speaking. He didn't want to look up and see Gaara's expression, so he kept his eyes averted. He'd revealed a lot more than he'd intended to and he didn't want to see how Gaara would react. He didn't think he'd be able to easily shrug off the self-loathing that would ensue if Gaara told him he was pathetic for clinging onto his relationships with people. If he lost two of his most precious people within a week of each other he didn't think he'd be alright for a very long time.

Just when Naruto thought he could no longer stomach the condemning silence, his hand was gently removed from the back of his neck. Naruto's head snapped forwards as the sensitive flesh of his palm found silky soft skin. He blinked, dumbfounded, as he watched Gaara press his tanned hand to the redhead's cheek. The look in Gaara's eyes made Naruto's heart flutter; it was a mixture of sadness, understanding, joy, pity, and lust. It was the lust Naruto focused on as Gaara moved closer to him, his plump perfect lips sweeping down to steal a kiss.

The slowness was what surprised Naruto the most. Gaara kept the blond teen's palm cupped against his jaw as their lips brushed in the lightest of touches. Naruto's free hand drifted to Gaara's hip, needlessly encouraging the other to move closer. Gaara's free hand glided up Naruto's arm and came to rest on his shoulder. The relaxed but possessive grip further surprised Naruto as Gaara pressed one last kiss to the corner of his mouth before pulling away. Naruto immediately tightened the hold he had on Gaara's hip, but the redhead made no move to break the contact between them.

"I was so sure you'd hate me," Gaara whispered, his expressive green eyes locked with Naruto's. "I was sure you would discard me like so many before you have; but you didn't – you forgave me. It's more than I deserve."

Naruto was about to protest but the look in Gaara's eyes rendered him speechless. Those orbs of deepest teal spoke of the painful self-doubt and hatred created when bonds were broken. In that instant Naruto realised that the reason Gaara had such a hard time trusting people was the same reason Naruto clung so tightly to the friendships he made: fear of pain. They'd both suffered the loss of someone close, but had found different methods to avoid further emotional pain. The realisation struck Naruto like a bolt of lightning and left him disorientated. He couldn't believe he'd met someone just like him, couldn't begin to fathom the full implications of what this revelation meant. All he knew was that he was glad he hadn't let Gaara walk away.

Gaara failed to suppress an amused chuckle. The gormless look on Naruto's face was priceless.

Hearing Gaara's quiet laugh pulled Naruto out of his thoughts. He blinked at the redhead as he encouraged his brain to formulate a speech that would express how much he empathized with Gaara in a way that was both deep and profound. When his brain refused to cooperate, Naruto settled for hugging Gaara and kissing him as hard as he could. The redhead didn't seem to mind his lack of articulation as he reciprocated the kiss with equal vigour, his arms locking around Naruto's neck as his hips rose to greet the blond. Naruto smothered a groan against Gaara's lips, his eyes slipping shut as his hands gravitated lower down the redhead's body. Teal eyes flashed with mischievous delight at the action before slipping into blissful closure.

Eventually the two were forced to come up for air. Sitting back, Naruto vaguely wondered how he'd ended up on top of Gaara, whose flushed face was a beautiful contrast to Naruto's orange bedspread. He wasn't able to ponder this question for long as moments later the door to his room was thrown open. Naruto immediately jumped off Gaara, a blush staining his cheeks as he glared at the intruder. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?!"

Jiraiya's smile was smug in the face of his grandson's embarrassment. "I own this house, I don't need to knock." He then turned his attention to Gaara, who was sporting his own faint blush. The smile quickly transformed into a leer. "I hope I wasn't…_interrupting_ anything."

Both teenagers' blushes deepened at the comment.

"Pervert!" Naruto shouted as he threw the nearest available object, which happened to be a pillow.

Jiraiya caught the pillow effortlessly, a wide grin splitting his face. "Take it easy, I was just having a little fun."

"Well your idea of fun sucks!"

Jiraiya chuckled as he threw the pillow back to his grandson. "Alright, back to business. I came up here to tell you that it's time for Gaara to go home."

"What!?" Naruto cried in alarm. "But he just got here! Can't he stay for dinner?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "We have guests over for dinner. You don't want to run the risk of them taking a fancy to your redhead as well do you?"

Naruto frowned and once again threw the pillow at his grandfather. "You have a terrible sense of humour."

Jiraiya laughed, as much at Naruto's comment as the look of disgust on Gaara's face. "Besides, I think it's time Gaara headed home; otherwise his family might think he's been kidnapped."

Gaara's face darkened at the mention of his family. Both Naruto and Jiraiya noticed the change but didn't comment on it. They knew that Gaara was probably thinking something along the lines of 'I doubt they even noticed I was gone' (which in actual fact was _exactly_ what he was thinking), and that now was not the time to confront the problem. There would be plenty of time to play therapist later.

Jiraiya coughed to clear his throat. "I'll give the two of you a moment to say goodbye whilst I find someone to take Gaara home."

The two teenagers watched silently as Jiraiya left the room. Then Naruto turned to Gaara, a sad smile perched on his lips. "I guess this means it's going to be another week before I see you again."

Gaara nodded, his eyes dimming at the prospect of going days without the blond teen's illuminating presence. "Would you like me to sleep over again Friday night?"

"Yes! That would be awesome!" Naruto cried excitedly as he threw his arms around Gaara.

Gaara stiffened, caught off-guard by the affectionate gesture. But as Naruto continued to embrace him Gaara slowly began to relax, going so far as to raise his arms to return the hug. The bond between them had changed, strengthened, and suddenly trusting Naruto wasn't the impossible task Gaara had once thought it would be. He naturally still had his doubts, but when Naruto held him close like this those doubts seemed utterly ridiculous even to Gaara. Naruto cared about him, and that fact wasn't going to change any time soon.

With great reluctance Gaara extracted himself from the warmth of Naruto's embrace. "I need to go."

Naruto sighed, despondent. "I know."

Neither teen made a move to stand.

With a rueful smile Gaara pressed a kiss to Naruto's cheek. The blond returned the smile and, without any further delay, they made their way down to the entrance hall where Jiraiya was waiting for them. "See you later Kid," the old man said as he nodded in Gaara's direction. Gaara returned the gesture and gave Naruto one final smile before making his way towards the awaiting car.

There was silence as Jiraiya and Naruto watched the car slowly disappear. When it had vanished completely, Jiraiya turned to Naruto with a grin on his face. "So, did you two have fun?"

Naruto shrugged, distracted by lingering thoughts of Gaara. "I guess so."

Jiraiya chuckled and punched Naruto's shoulder playfully. "Don't let your boyfriend hear that he no longer _excites _you."

It took a moment for Naruto to realise that his boyfriend was being insulted. "Shut up you old perv; Gaara still excites me!"

As soon as he'd said it Naruto blushed. He glared at Jiraiya as the old man clutched his sides from laughing too hard.

"Stupid pervert," Naruto grumbled as he headed back towards his bedroom, not in the mood for dealing with his grandfather's antics.

"Hold on Naruto; did you forget that we have guests?" Jiraiya asked as he rushed forwards to catch Naruto's arm.

Naruto shrugged out of Jiraiya's hold and muttered, "I'm not in the mood for entertaining your stupid friends."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Surprisingly, Jiraiya actually sounded genuinely sorry. "And after Obito made time in his busy schedule just to see you…"

"Wait, Obito's here?" Naruto's face was suddenly illuminated by a brilliant smile as he pushed past Jiraiya and headed deeper into the house.

"They're in the blue room!" Jiraiya called after him, chuckling softly as he followed at a more leisurely pace.

The only warning Obito was given was his name screamed in a tone of surprised excitement before he was tackled to the floor in a bone-breaking bear hug. The young Uchiha was so surprised by the attack that he didn't even try to struggle. But eventually his wits returned to him and he was able to gasp out, "Naruto! Choking, not breathing!"

Understanding the situation, Naruto quickly released the dark haired man. He laughed apologetically, his hand absently scratching the back of his head as Obito took in some much needed oxygen. "Sorry about that; I guess I got a little carried away."

Recovering quickly from his near-death experience, Obito gave Naruto an encouraging smile. "Don't worry about it; it's only natural to be overwhelmed by my amazing presence after suffering for so long without it."

Naruto laughed at the joke and playfully punched Obito's shoulder. Obito ruffled Naruto's hair, laughing along with the blond as he pulled him into a headlock. The two young men then proceeded to engage in a full-blown wrestling match, much to the amusement of those watching them.

"You'd think they were still eight years old," Tsunade commented as she shook her head in exasperation.

"Boys will be boys," Kakashi quoted, his eyes two smiling crescents.

"I think Obito's getting a little old to use that excuse," Jiraiya mused, still grinning.

"If that's true then your excuse for spending all day writing porn instead of getting a real job expired decades ago," Tsunade said as she sent a very pointed look in her husband's direction.

Jiraiya coughed into his fist to hide his awkwardness, before clapping his hands together to gain the attention of the wrestling pair. "All right, break it up you two! We have serious business to discuss!"

Both Naruto and Obito grinned sheepishly as they broke apart and climbed to their feet. "Serious business?" Naruto queried as he handed Obito his glasses, which had been dislodged from the other's face during their wrestling match.

"It's about Gaara," Kakashi said gravely, effectively wiping any trace of a smile from Naruto's face.

"What about Gaara?" Naruto asked anxiously as his mind searched frantically for a reason why both Kakashi and Obito were there to talk to him about a boy who had been perfectly fine a few minutes ago.

"He went on a date with Sasuke last night," Kakashi continued in the same grave tone.

"I know that," Naruto snapped, "I was the one who passed the news of Sasuke's ingenious plan onto Gaara."

"Did you also know that Jiraiya asked me to follow the two of them whilst they were on their date?"

"Yes," Naruto replied as the memory of the conversation he'd had with his grandfather on whether or not it was a good idea for him to join Kakashi on his stalking mission came back to him.

"Well Obito and I were just about able to witness the date in its entirety. If there is anything you wish to know about last night all you have to do is ask and we'll tell you."

"Or show you," added Obito.

"Show me? Are you and Kakashi going to re-enact what they did together?" Naruto asked, confused.

Both Obito and Kakashi blushed as they imagined exactly _what_ they would have to re-enact. "No!" they cried simultaneously, their blushes deepening as they glanced shamefacedly at each other.

Closing his eyes to block out the three amused (but still puzzled) pairs of eyes that were trained on him, Kakashi explained, "We were able to uncover video footage of what transpired in Sasuke's bedroom."

Naruto paled at the news. "Video footage?"

Kakashi nodded, his tone once again grave. "We have it here if you want to watch it. I will warn you in advance that you're probably not going to like what you see."

"So it's footage of them kissing."

There was a moment of astonished silence as everyone stared at Naruto.

"Wait a minute, you already _know_ that they were playing tonsil tennis?" Obito asked, his tone incredulous.

Naruto shrugged, his face blank. "Gaara told me earlier."

"Then how come we didn't hear any shouting?"

"Or fighting?"

"Or furniture breaking?"

"Or tension-relieving hate-sex?"

Jiraiya huffed as all eyes turned on him.

"What? You were all thinking it!"

Rolling her eyes, Tsunade turned back to her grandson. "So what happened? What did he tell you?"

With a weary groan Naruto collapsed onto the sofa opposite Tsunade. "He said Sasuke made a move on him and he kissed back. He immediately regretted it and was sorry that he made such a stupid mistake. I told him he was an idiot but, since he was honest about it and seemed genuinely sorry, I would forgive him. Then we kissed and made up."

"And you didn't punch him once?" When Naruto shook his head Obito whistled. "Well I'm definitely impressed."

"The brat's matured since the last time you saw him," Tsunade said with a distinct hint of pride in her voice. Then her expression turned to one of irritation as she continued, "Still, shit like this leaves a bad taste in your mouth no matter how mature you act when you hear the news. Their relationship isn't going to be all rainbows and puppies from now on."

"You're not going to start giving me relationship advice are you?" Naruto asked apprehensively.

"Of course not," Tsunade scoffed. "What do I know about same-sex relationships?"

"Well there was that little misadventure you had when you were 26-"

One look from his wife caused Jiraiya's self-preservation instincts to kick in. He immediately shut his mouth and turned to glower at Obito, who was sniggering from behind the safety of his hand.

Suppressing his own amused smile, Kakashi returned the conversation to the topic at hand. "If Gaara divulged information on his most scandalous act of the evening, the kiss, then it is safe to assume that he also shared with you what occurred during the rest of the date; leaving Obito and I redundant."

"You're not leaving are you?" Naruto asked, disappointed.

"Of course not!" Obito cried as he landed on the sofa next to Naruto, throwing his arm around the blond teen's shoulders as he continued, "At least, I'm not going to leave. It's been far too long since we've seen each other and we have _so_ much to catch up on. Plus, I want to see the part of the video where your redhead beats the crap out of Sasuke again. That scene never grows old!"

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked with a confused frown.

"Didn't your redhead tell you that after he owned Sasuke sexually he owned him physically?" Obito asked, surprised that Gaara had neglected to pass on this bit of information.

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know; I didn't pay that much attention to what he was saying after he told me that he kissed that asshole."

"Well your redhead taught Sasuke a lesson he won't soon forget. Want to join me in watching him get his head handed to him?" At Naruto's uneasy look (because, honestly, who wants to watch a tape that has footage of their boyfriend kissing another guy on it?) Obito added, "It's really not that bad if you've got the sound muted. You'll feel better about this whole mess after you've watched it, trust me. And you might even feel more inclined to forgive your redhead after seeing just how much he hates Sasuke's kissing technique."

Naruto wasn't sure about that, but he trusted Obito and his judgement. The older boy hadn't steered him wrong yet (although he had helped with the execution of many of Naruto's pranks when he was younger) and always had Naruto's best interests at heart. He was one of a handful of Uchihas who weren't solely out for themselves; he cared for Naruto and would never intentionally try to hurt him. So, even though Naruto was unsure how watching the tape would make him feel better rather than worse about the situation with Sasuke and Gaara, he was willing to listen to Obito and give it a go.

"Alright, let's watch the tape."

Obito cheered as he jumped off the sofa and rushed to set up the night's entertainment. "Close your eyes Naruto; we'll tell you when the scary part is over."

Smiling faintly, Naruto followed Obito's advice and shut his eyes. Around him he could hear the other occupants of the room finding seats so that they could join in on the fun. Naruto's smile grew – he had the weirdest family ever.

_Still_, he mused as he waited anxiously to be given the green light, _it's nice that they're here to support me, whatever their reasons for doing so. _

"Alright Naruto, you can look now," Obito said as the sofa dipped under his weight.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto gathered his courage, and opened his eyes.

* * *

I hope Naruto's actions made sense.

Please Review!


	12. Chapter 12

Wow, I can't believe how long it's taken to write this. Uni has been a major factor in that. The problem with doing an Arts degree is that I always end up thinking "If I have time to write I have time to work," and consequently my writing has suffered :( But! I have finally managed to produce a chapter I am satisfied with. I'm also nearly done with my next chapter of Club Secret. With any luck I will have it sent to my beta just before Easter. If that doesn't occur then I'm afraid it will be ignored until after exams are over in June.

Also, in terms of pairing, after looking at the poll results I've decided to stick with NaruGaaNaru. The reason for the poll was that more than one person had pointed out that it looked like I was setting up for throwing Sasuke in there and making a threesome. I was curious to see if that was what people wanted. But as 73% of people wish a tactical accident on Sasuke, I'm going to have to deal with him in some other way.

Now enjoy the chapter! You might not get the next one for awhile -_-'

* * *

**Chapter 12**

Naruto sighed as he dragged his feet in the direction of the form room. Monday mornings were always painful, but this one in particular was causing him to yearn for the weekend, when he would be able to sleep in late and not have to worry about dealing with school or boyfriend-stealing Uchihas. Naruto groaned aloud at the prospect of having to go up against Sasuke this early in the morning. After watching the video of Gaara beating up Sasuke (Obito had been right; it had been very therapeutic) he'd stayed up late talking and playing games with the Uchiha, only stopping when Obito was literally dragged from the house by a fatigued Kakashi. If Naruto had thought ahead he would have kicked Obito out earlier so that he could get a good night's sleep. But he hadn't thought ahead, which meant he was going to be facing his long-time friend and rival with his mental capacity at 50 percent. Those were not good odds for a fight with an Uchiha.

"Morning Naruto."

Naruto jumped, startled by the greeting. He looked up to see Chouji standing before him, happily making his way through a bag of crisps.

"Morning Chouji," Naruto replied as he flashed the rotund boy a tired smile.

"Late night?"

"Yeah," Naruto replied as he stifled a yawn. "Have you seen Sasuke?"

"He's in the form room pretending he's not wearing make up to disguise a black eye."

Naruto's face instantly brightened at the news. "Really?" he asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet like an excited puppy.

"Yeah," Chouji said as he screwed the now empty packet into a ball and threw it into a nearby bin. "Any idea how he got it?"

"My boyfriend gave it to him," Naruto said, beaming with pride as he remembered the satisfying cry of pain Sasuke had released when Gaara's fist collided with his face.

"He did?"

"He did," Naruto clarified. "And I'll tell you all about it as soon as I've rubbed the fact in Sasuke's face." With that the blond teen dashed off towards his form room, zigzagging around his fellow students, who glared at him for daring to have that much energy on a Monday morning.

Naruto skidded into the form room with the trademark squeal of rubber on freshly polished wood flooring. He immediately spotted Sasuke, who was sitting in his usual seat with his head bowed so that his bangs covered his eyes. Everyone else in the room seemed to be avoiding him; there was a one desk safety perimeter around Sasuke's seat. By now everyone in their tutor group had learned to detect Sasuke's pissed off vibes, as well as to avoid him when he was releasing such a concentrated burst of them. Everyone, that is, except Naruto.

Grinning like a fool, Naruto approached the dark haired teen, a cunning plan forming in his mind. He made as if he was going to walk past Sasuke but, just as he was about to reach the desk behind the Uchiha, he spun round and slapped Sasuke hard on the back and asked, "What's up bastard?" in the most annoyingly cheerful tone he possessed.

Sasuke looked up to glare at the blond. And when he did Naruto burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Shut up," Sasuke growled, his gaze venomous.

"But it's so funny! Uchiha Sasuke, wearing make up to try and hide the fact that he got his head well and truly handed to him!" It was at that point Naruto stopped laughing and became deadly serious. "It serves you right you know. You blackmailed my boyfriend into going out with you and then tricked him into cheating on me. You're a real bastard Sasuke."

"So Gaara told you about the kiss then?" Sasuke enquired, his eyes quietly calculating.

"Yeah, he did. He felt really bad about what he'd done and wanted to ask for my forgiveness. Unlike you he knows when he's crossed the line."

"Contrary to popular belief I do know when I've gone too far, and sometimes I even care about such a fact," replied Sasuke as he moved to his feet. He turned to face Naruto, his gaze serious and almost…apologetic. "Gaara has intrigued me from the moment I first met him. He has also resisted all of my advances. I wanted to find out if this was due to the fact that he was truly taken by you or because he perceived in me some flaw that repulsed him. After our 'date' I know that it is because of the former reason that he is not interested in a relationship with me. For this reason I have no desire to further chase him; I am content to have his friendship, as I once had yours."

Naruto frowned as he listened to Sasuke's speech. He was half tempted to make it so that Sasuke's eyes matched, even if it meant he got detention for fighting in school. This was Sasuke's way of apologising without admitting he'd done anything wrong and it infuriated Naruto to no end. Why was it so hard for him to say that he'd messed up? Why couldn't he take responsibility for his actions? Because (a rational part of Naruto's brain told him) Sasuke didn't really care that he'd hurt Naruto by going on a date with Gaara; he was just going through the motions of 'apologising' in order to regain his trust. The rational thing to do would be to tell the lying bastard that he was through taking his crap and that if Sasuke wanted to retain use of his legs he should leave Gaara alone. But this was _Sasuke,_ Naruto's first and best friend, and he was doing the thing Naruto had wanted him to do most – apologise for ruining their friendship. Sasuke was subtly asking him to let things return to normal, asking him to bury the hatchet so that they could be best friends again. And even though Naruto's common sense told him not to trust Sasuke he couldn't help it. He had so much history with the Uchiha, had a bond that had survived many years of fighting and competitive rivalry, and he really didn't want to lose that when he had the opportunity to save it. His precious person wasn't lost (he had returned to him) and that was something he was unquestioningly grateful for.

Grinning, Naruto playfully punched Sasuke's shoulder. "You really are shit at apologies."

"That's because Uchiha's never apologise, and that wasn't an apology."

"That so was an apology! You were practically begging me to take you back!"

"You're delusional."

"You're a bastard."

"Now, now children; settle down," chided Kakashi as he walked into the room, accompanied by the morning bell.

Naruto turned to look at the clock on the wall, a confused frown creasing his brow. "Hey, Kakashi, how come you're on time this morning?"

"I made an extra special effort so that I could be here to prevent any fisticuffs that might occur," Kakashi answered with a smile that caused his eyes to become two small crescents.

Naruto chuckled guiltily whilst sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. Sasuke just glared at Kakashi in a show of defiance. Kakashi shrugged off the look and turned his attention to the rest of his pupils.

"Everybody sit down for registration. I know many of your classmates are not here yet but I see no problem in beginning without them; it means there's more time for me to bond with those dedicated students who have arrived early."

As his fellow pupils laughed and took their seats around him, Naruto noticed that Kakashi was watching him closely. He smiled, giving his teacher the thumbs up. Kakashi smiled back, and from that point on ceased his cautious vigilance of the blond and Uchiha.

Naruto sighed as he rested his head on his desk. Once registration was over he was sure Kakashi would want a word with him to ask for developments, and to remind him that brawling was strictly prohibited on school grounds. Not that Naruto needed reminding. He'd more or less patched things up with Sasuke – they were friends again. Their friendship might be incredibly dysfunctional but that was nothing new. It was there, and that was what was important.

Smiling, Naruto sat up and returned his attention to Kakashi taking register, glad that at last the prodigal friend had returned.

* * *

Gaara had been home from school for just over an hour when his sister barged into his room. "You have a visitor," Temari announced, completely unfazed by her youngest brother's annoyed glare.

"Who is it?" Gaara growled as he turned to fully face the blonde.

To Gaara's surprise Temari blushed at the question. "He says his name is Sasuke, Sasuke Uchiha. I said he could wait downstairs while I came to get you." The blush quickly disappeared and was replaced by a look of suspicion. "Why does an Uchiha want to speak with you? You weren't the one who gave him that black eye were you?"

"None of your business," Gaara snarled as he stalked past his sister (ignoring her infuriated protests), down the stairs and into the living room. There he spotted Sasuke, still in his school uniform, lounging like a king on a beige sofa that had seen better days. Gaara strode over to the dark haired teen and stood before him with his arms crossed over his chest. In a dangerously low voice Gaara hissed, "What are you doing here?"

Sasuke smirked in that casual, almost debonair, way that made most girls go weak at the knees. "Don't be so suspicious Gaara. I'm merely here to 'hang out' with a friend."

Gaara scowled. "By 'hang out' do you mean 'seduce'?"

Sasuke frowned. "I thought when you left my house last night we had established that I only wanted to be friends."

"We did establish that. However you seem to constantly shift your position to one that best suits your agenda."

Sasuke grinned at the unintentional innuendo, but before he could come up with a reply Temari walked into the room. She smiled sweetly at Sasuke before asking, "Can I get you anything? A drink; something to eat?"

Sasuke smiled back. "Water, please."

Gaara glared at his sister as she headed into the kitchen, her cheeks a rosy pink colour. It was just his luck that Sasuke's charms were the only ones Temari was not immune to.

Turning back towards the Uchiha, Gaara wasn't the least bit surprised to find that he was smirking. Before either teen could pass comment, Temari returned from the kitchen. She handed the glass of water to Sasuke and the smirk immediately morphed into a winning smile. Gaara rolled his eyes, exasperated, as his sister took a seat beside their guest.

"So," Temari said, turning to Sasuke and completely ignoring Gaara, "how do you know my brother?"

"A friend of mine introduced me. We were at a party and we started talking-"

"And then you molested me so I punched you in the face."

Two pairs of eyes were immediately trained on Gaara. "What-" Temari started to say, but was cut off by her brother.

"Leave."

The two siblings stared hard at each other for what felt like hours before Temari gracefully stood up and left the room. Gaara waited until he was satisfied she was out of earshot before stepping closer to Sasuke.

"Tell me why you're here; and don't say that you're here to 'hang out' because that's not a real answer."

"It's a shame you feel that way because that is my answer." At Gaara's venomous look Sasuke sighed, put down his glass of water, and got to his feet. "Fine. I came here to tell you that this morning Naruto and I had a discussion about you. I admitted that I kissed you and he forgave me for it. I asked if he and I could be friends again and he said that we could as long as I didn't try to break up the two of you. I promised him that I wouldn't, but said that I still wanted you and me to be friends, and he was fine with that. So here I am, as your friend, wanting to spend time with you. Are you going to punish me for that?"

"No," Gaara replied. "I wouldn't punish you for that, if it were true."

Sasuke's face darkened, "Are you saying that you don't believe me?"

"I'm saying that you're very good at misdirecting people with your words. Right now your words give the impression that there's absolutely nothing wrong with us spending time alone together, but that's not true is it? If Naruto were to find out he'd be hurt. He'd wonder exactly what we'd been doing together. He'd wonder why we were so desperate to see each other again, especially when by nature we prefer our own company. He'd wonder if we really were nothing more than friends."

"Are these Naruto's speculations or yours?"

Gaara's glare intensified. "You are not the most trustworthy of individuals."

"So are you saying that you didn't enjoy your time with me on Sunday?" Sasuke asked, a sharp edge to his voice.

Gaara looked away from Sasuke and the intensity in the depths of his dark eyes. In order to prevent the Uchiha from pressing assault charges Gaara had agreed to go on a date that would last twenty-four hours. The morning after he had kissed Sasuke Gaara had technically still been on that date. At the time he'd wanted nothing more than to go to Naruto and tell him the truth, to relieve himself of the oppressive weight of his guilt. He also hadn't wanted to stay and run the risk of further hurting Naruto by having Sasuke potentially record another attempt at seduction. After all, just because the Uchiha had said he only wanted to be friends didn't mean that it was true. Gaara had learned by then that Sasuke Uchiha was not a person whose word you could take at face value. Unfortunately, Sasuke had told him that a deal was a deal and that he shouldn't be in such a rush to burst Naruto's happy little bubble. So, after a heated argument, Gaara had stayed where he was for what he'd anticipated would be an afternoon of hell.

However, much to Gaara's surprise, he'd ended up enjoying his time with Sasuke. There had been some tension at first (Gaara had still been fuming that Sasuke hadn't just cut his losses and declared the date over and done with) but after an hour or so of just sitting and watching a film Gaara's anger had dissipated. He'd decided that Sasuke had been correct when he'd said he shouldn't rush telling Naruto. Rushing things wouldn't have made the situation any better – it more likely would have made it worse. The events of the night before had happened so fast that they were a jumble of action and emotion in Gaara's mind. If it was all one big confused mess to Gaara then Naruto had no chance of being able to understand what had happened. Gaara had realised that if he wanted to accurately explain what had happened then he needed to come to terms with how he felt about Sasuke and where he stood with the Uchiha. He also needed to determine how he felt about Naruto and whether the night before had changed that at all. Being with Naruto wouldn't have enabled him to complete the first part of this process, only spending time with Sasuke would have allowed him to do that. Having deduced this Gaara had begun to relax and had allowed himself to interact with Sasuke, knowing that this was the only way he'd ever be able to properly determine his feelings for the Uchiha.

By the time their twenty-four hours was up Gaara had come to the conclusion that he liked Sasuke as a friend. He still didn't fully trust him, but the similarities that existed between them were so extensive and alluring that Gaara knew he would be disappointed if he never saw the Uchiha again. Gaara had also realised that his feelings for Naruto had not been changed by the kiss – if Naruto could forgive him his infidelity then Gaara wanted nothing more than to continue being Naruto's boyfriend. As it happened, Naruto had forgiven him and the bond between them had grown stronger than ever. However, Gaara knew that Naruto still hadn't fully recovered from finding out that he'd kissed Sasuke. The redhead was sure that if Naruto found out about Sasuke's visit he'd be suspicious and hurt. This was why Sasuke's sudden appearance annoyed Gaara. They could only be friends as long as Sasuke didn't try to ruin his relationship with Naruto, and his sudden appearance in Gaara's living room would definitely not do anything to help that relationship. The whole thing placed Gaara in an awkward situation and he didn't appreciate it. Even if Sasuke had done it by accident, not thinking about the consequences of his visit (which Gaara doubted as Sasuke was too clever for that), he was still annoyed that the Uchiha hadn't stopped to consider how this would look to Naruto and how it might hurt him. Still, Sasuke seemed genuinely hurt that Gaara appeared to not want to see him and he really didn't want to send Sasuke away with that impression.

"No, that's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that I'm lucky Naruto forgave me for what I did – for what _we_ did. I don't want to jeopardise the second chance I've been given by spending time alone with you so soon after I swore we were nothing more than friends. I know you're smart enough to see how us spending a large amount of time together might appear to the outside world."

A pensive look spread over Sasuke's face as he considered this. "So what you're saying is that you want to spend time with me, but you're worried about what Naruto will think of you if you do."

"Those are your words, not mine," Gaara hissed, once again incensed.

Sasuke sneered. "Don't worry Gaara; I don't think any less of you for doing what you can to make sure you get what you what." Before Gaara had a chance to reply Sasuke continued, "Well, if that's what the problem is, then it can be easily rectified. I won't contact you for the rest of the week, but on Saturday you have to come to my house for a film night. It'll just be you, me, Naruto, and a few others socialising and watching movies. I doubt Naruto can have any objections to that."

Gaara considered the proposition carefully. As far as he could tell there was no way Sasuke could manipulate this to his advantage. "Alright."

Sasuke smirked. "Excellent. I'll give Naruto details of when it is. I assume you'll be coming together?" He reached into the breast pocket of his blazer and pulled out a small white card. "If you desire to contact me during the week here's my number."

Gaara took the card and examined it. In the top right hand corner of the card was the Uchiha family crest, and in the centre it gave Sasuke's name, mobile number and email address. Gaara turned back to Sasuke, who was still smirking.

"I'll see you on Saturday then."

Gaara nodded, relieved that Sasuke was leaving without making a scene. "Yes. Goodbye Sasuke."

Returning the nod, Sasuke turned and made his way towards the front door. However, he couldn't resist dropping one last bombshell for Gaara to deal with before he left. "Just so you know, Gaara, I genuinely was here to spend time with you. You shouldn't be so suspicious of me; I'm not stupid, I know I can't trick you twice into cheating on Naruto. At least, not in such an obvious way. If I did that then you'd never forgive me and all my hard work will have been for nothing. It's the little things you really need to be worried about."

Laughing at the wide-eyed shock on Gaara's face, Sasuke exited the house and walked to the car waiting outside for him. Gaara clenched his fists as he watched the car drive away through the window, accidentally crushing the card he still held in one hand. "Asshole," he hissed before storming upstairs, ignoring the enquiries of his sister and curious look from his brother.

* * *

White card, size A5. Curvaceous gold writing inviting _Naruto Uzumaki and guest_ to attend a party at the Uchiha mansion on Saturday of that week.

Naruto chuckled as he reread the card. Trust Sasuke to send out fancy invitations for a sleepover. Naruto put down the card and dug a small scrap of paper out of his pocket. He then picked up the phone and dialled the number written on the paper. He'd asked Jiraiya for Gaara's number so that he could invite the redhead to the party. He was slightly apprehensive about doing so, given the history between Gaara and Sasuke, but he was trying to put that behind him. Gaara had chosen him – there was no need to be jealous. And besides, as long as Gaara didn't leave his sight there would be no way for Sasuke to make a move. Right?

"Hello?"

Naruto started and quickly turned his attention to the woman on the phone. "Hey," he replied eagerly, "is Gaara there?"

"Who is this?" asked the woman suspiciously.

"Naruto...I'm a friend," Naruto answered after a short pause.

There was silence as the woman seemed to consider this answer. Then she moved away from the mouthpiece and called Gaara's name. "Gaara's never mentioned you before," the woman said as they both waited for Gaara to arrive.

"Oh," Naruto answered as something twisted unpleasantly in his stomach.

"Do you go to school together?"

"No."

"How did you meet then? Was it at the same party where he met Uchiha Sasuke?"

The unpleasant sensation in his stomach increased. "Sasuke met Gaara at a party my grandpa was throwing. I met Gaara while he was doing community service at my house."

"So you're the friend who introduced Uchiha Sasuke to Gaara?" asked the woman eagerly.

Before Naruto could answer there was the sound of a scuffle on the other end of the line. He couldn't hear what exactly was being said, but both voices sounded angry. Then Naruto heard a very familiar growl and a, "Go away Temari," before Gaara spoke properly into the mouthpiece. "Naruto?"

"Hey Gaara," Naruto said in a voice full of forced cheer.

Gaara paused before saying, "I apologise for my sister; she likes sticking her nose in other people's business." Somewhere on the other end of the line a door was slammed violently.

On any other day Naruto might have laughed. Today, however, he couldn't resist demanding, "How does she know about Sasuke but not me?"

There was another awkward pause. "He came to my house on Monday after school. He said he only wanted to talk but I threw him out anyway. He talked to my sister then."

The knot in Naruto's stomach loosened slightly at this. "You threw him out straight away?"

"It took some persuading to get him to leave, but I did not want him to stay. He was here for less than ten minutes."

"And that's how your sister knows his name and not mine? Because he introduced himself?"

"Yes."

"And why does she not know my name? Have you not told your family about me?"

"No, I have not told them. They are finding it hard enough to process the idea that I might have a friend let alone anything more, and at the moment I have no desire to correct them as my love life is none of their business."

Naruto laughed as the last of the unpleasant sensation left his stomach. "You know, for a minute there I thought you were two-timing me with my best friend. Silly huh?"

"It's understandable. I deserve your suspicion."

Naruto wanted to object that this wasn't true, but something held him back. A vindictive voice in his brain whispered that Gaara had been let off lightly after kissing Sasuke and that he did deserve this. He deserved to feel like he couldn't be trusted because the fact was that he couldn't. He'd kissed Sasuke knowing it would hurt Naruto and Naruto had every right to make him feel guilty as hell about it. Naruto told that voice to shut up, but he still didn't say anything to Gaara.

After a minute of tense silence Gaara spoke again. "How are you?"

The apprehensive sincerity in the question caused Naruto to relax somewhat. "Not bad. You?"

"I'm fine," Gaara replied awkwardly. There was another stretch of uncomfortable silence. "Did you call for a specific reason or just to talk?"

"Oh yeah," said Naruto, remembering the invitation, "I called to tell you that Sasuke's having a sleepover on Saturday and he wants the both of us to come."

As the words fell from his lips, Naruto flashed back to earlier that morning when Sasuke had handed out the invitations. Naruto had been suspicious when the Uchiha had practically ordered him to invite Gaara, and had told Sasuke as much. The Uchiha had merely sneered in return and said, "Don't you trust me?" The answer to that had, and still continued to be, that when it came to Gaara he most certainly didn't. At the time he'd let it slide, as he couldn't see how Sasuke could turn a sleepover to his advantage. Now, however, he was wondering if perhaps he had underestimated the Uchiha and his ability to screw Naruto over.

"A sleepover?" Gaara questioned.

"Yeah. He's invited some of our friends from school as well." Naruto's statement was met with silence. "Gaara?"

"He told me he was hosting a film night when he came to my house. He never said it was a sleepover," Gaara said slowly, carefully.

Naruto was instantly alert. "And?" he demanded.

"I said I would come if he stopped trying to get in contact with me."

"Well thanks for telling me," Naruto said bitterly as he angrily swiped the invitation off the table in front of him.

"I didn't want to upset you. The only reason I agreed to go to his party was because I knew you would be there with me. I thought you would prefer me talking to him then rather than during the week when you weren't present. He told me you had rekindled your friendship and approved us speaking."

Naruto fumed silently, unsure what to say. He couldn't fault Gaara for doing what he'd done, but that didn't make him any less angry. "Yeah, Sasuke and I made up. I'm kinda wondering why right about now."

"Because you wanted to get back the friend you lost. You think the Sasuke you first made friends with is still in there and you're willing to put up with this shit until you find him."

Naruto couldn't help but smile. Gaara understood him too well. "Yeah, I suppose that is why. Sasuke was my best friend and I don't want to lose him." After a minute of silence, Naruto shook himself out of his nostalgia and asked, "So, are you coming to this party as my guest?"

"If you want me to."

"Of course I want you to! Why wouldn't I want to show off my smoking hot boyfriend to all my friends?"

Gaara made a noise that sounded like a laugh. "You're not worried your friends will try to molest me like they did at the last party I attended?"

"They wouldn't dare to mess with you after the way you handled Sasuke. You throw a mean punch."

After a moment which Naruto guessed was composed of Gaara basking in the glow of his compliment, the redhead said, "Sasuke did not give me any details about this party. Is there a dress code and time I should arrive?"

"It's a sleepover, so something casual and whatever you sleep in. As for time...You still coming to mine on Friday?"

"Yes."

"Well if you pack for the weekend I can send a driver to bring you back here after your community service and we can go together. How does that sound?"

"I have no objections."

"Excellent!"

Gaara huffed and asked, "I don't have to bring a gift do I?"

Naruto laughed. "It's not his birthday. You don't have to bring anything besides yourself. And your clothes. Please don't forget your clothes."

"I'm not an idiot you know."

Naruto was about to reply when he noticed Tsunade enter the room. She made a motion for him to wrap up his conversation before exiting. With a sigh, Naruto said, "Sorry Gaara, I've got to go. I'll see you on Friday?"

"Yes. Goodbye, Naruto."

"Bye, Gaara."

Naruto considered saying something mushy but decided against it at the last second. Instead he hung up and left to find out what Tsunade wanted.

* * *

Please Review!


	13. Two Years Later

For those of you who read Club Secret you will know that my Naruto muse has abandoned me. In regards to Club Secret it wasn't the end of the world as I already had a plan of the last few chapters to work off. With Perfect Punishment...I had ideas, but no structure to put them into. Which is why I've decided that, instead of leaving everyone hanging for a story I have no inspiration for, I'd write a final chapter that sums up how I thought the fic might go. Not what you've all been waiting for, I know, but after scraping 7 drafts of chapter 13 I knew it wasn't going to happen. So this is the last chapter, and my last opertunity to thank all of you who have reviewed and faved and stuck with me for so long. Your support has meant a lot and I hope this chapter will be some consolation to you.

* * *

**Chapter 13**

_2 Years Later_

Obito cursed as he tugged at the knot of his tie. For the first time in his life he was, miraculously, early for a meeting. Not just any meeting, either, but his first official date with Kakashi. A couple of weeks ago, after a few too many drinks, the two of them had fallen into bed together. What had followed had been an awkwardness the likes of which their friendship had never seen before. They had both dutifully avoided each other and pretended as if that fateful night had never happened. Eventually Itachi had become tired of watching them dance around the issue and had 'encouraged' Obito to ask Kakashi out on a date. Obito had ceded to peer pressure and made the call, half hoping that Kakashi would turn him down at the same time as praying his old friend would say yes. In the end Kakashi had agreed and they'd set a date. Obito had been so nervous that he'd turned up an hour early for their date and been forced to wait in the restaurant under the weight of the waitresses' curious stares.

As the hour of reckoning drew closer he'd started to consider the prospect of running away and pretending that he'd forgotten their meeting. That sounded like something he'd do – he could definitely pull that off. Then the date would be postponed until much later, maybe even forever, and in time they would forget about the whole incident and he and Kakashi would go back to being friends without any of that awkward sexual tension that had permeated their encounters for the last year and a half. Yeah, that's definitely what would happen.

Obito dropped his head onto the table with a resounding _thud_ and moaned into his napkin. "Why? Why does this sort of thing always happen to me?"

"I feel I should remind you that this date was your idea."

Obito's head shot up, his eyes wide and a blush staining his cheeks as he stared at the man now sitting opposite him. "Kakashi!" he bleated. "Don't sneak up on me like that! You're not a ninja, you're a school teacher!"

The twist of Kakashi's mask indicated he was smiling. "You're early."

His cheeks still burning, Obito forced a casual shrug. "Yeah, well, I thought I should make an effort. If we're going to do this we should do this properly." He paused, studying Kakashi's apparel. Like Obito he was wearing a dark suit and tie along with his trademark facemask. The Uchiha swallowed and said, "You look nice."

"You too," Kakashi returned, sounding just the slightest bit uncertain. "You're wearing contacts?"

"Yeah, I thought it was about time I get over my fear of putting stuff on my eyeball and give them a go."

"They look good."

"Thanks."

After a moment of awkward silence Kakashi reached for the menus and handed one to Obito. "We should probably order."

"Yeah, definitely," Obito responded gratefully.

They spent the next few minutes perusing the menu and placing their order with the waitress. Once that was done they were forced to return their menus and think of a new topic of conversation. For a long time both of them drew a blank on what counted as an appropriate ice-breaker.

"You know," Kakashi started carefully, "this is the restaurant where Sasuke took Gaara for their first date."

"Really?" Obito responded as he quickly glanced around the establishment. Sure enough, he recognised the table at which he and Kakashi had sat and spied on the teenagers. "Huh, thought the name sounded familiar. I never made the connection though." He paused for a moment before adding, "That means this is also the place where Naruto and Gaara had their first public date."

"Yes. That was painful to watch."

"After Gaara admitted this was where Sasuke had taken him it was. That was a pretty dumb move on his part; I don't understand why he thought that would be anything other than a massive mood killer."

"I assume he was trying to be honest. They agreed there would be no secrets between them in regards to Sasuke, and Gaara must have thought that was something he should disclose."

"It wasn't really a secret though. It was just...something awkward that he really shouldn't have brought up."

"He did bring it up though."

"Yeah," Obito sighed. "And then, because Naruto is stubborn and unwilling to ever admit that he occasionally feels threatened by my cousin, he decided that they were going to stay put and have a much better date than Gaara had with Sasuke. Which they did, in the end, and Naruto even got some under-the-shirt action as a reward for navigating through that disaster."

Kakashi rolled his eyes at Obito's leer. "He was also rewarded by having pictures of his public display of affection published in a newspaper."

"Oh yeah," Obito winced. "That was bad. Gaara's dad took the news he was gay with about as much grace as my folks did."

"Luckily for Gaara Tsunade was willing to let him stay with them when his father kicked him out."

"Lucky for Sasuke too," added Obito with a rueful grin. "That was just the opportunity my sneaky asshole of a cousin was waiting for. Gaara goes from living among the economically struggling to rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous – if Hollywood is right then of course he's going to feel out of his depth! So Sasuke swoops in and says he'll help him to adjust so that he feels comfortable in Naruto's world. Gaara accepts, they start spending loads of time together at parties and other social functions, and then _boom_ – Naruto gets jealous."

"And Sasuke fans the flames by asking Gaara to dinner, which of course Naruto mistakes for a date."

"And he naturally decides to crash it."

"Unfortunately for Naruto, brawling in the streets hasn't been romantic since the time of the Vikings."

"The same goes for spilling dinner over your date."

Kakashi was unable to stop a short laugh from escaping his throat as he said, "It's unsurprising that Gaara stormed off after knocking their heads together."

Obito joined in his laughter as he added, "That is still the most painfully hilarious thing I have ever seen."

Kakashi nodded and dampened his grin as he became more serious. "I'm glad that wasn't the end of their relationship."

"Yeah," replied Obito, still smiling slightly. "It would have been a shame if that was what caused them to give up. But Gaara is just as stubborn as Naruto, and neither of them were going to let Sasuke ruin them. Which is why they're still together, two years later, and madly in love – or at least that's the impression I get when I see them together."

Kakashi nodded in agreement. "As madly in love as only teenagers can be. And as for Sasuke..."

Obito crowed with laughter at the mention of his cousin and gained a few disapproving stares from the restaurant's other patrons. "Oh, he's madly in love too. He and that Suigetsu kid make a surprisingly good couple. You should see them together Kakashi – it's just priceless!"

"I see them together in school. Suigetsu spends more time in my classroom than in his own."

"Can't bear to be separated for a moment?" Obito asked, unable to keep a straight face.

"Something like that," Kakashi sighed. His gaze drifted across the restaurant and surprisingly stumbled upon a collection of familiar faces. "It seems our friends and family have taken some time out of their busy schedules to return the favour and spy on our date."

"What?!" Obito cried as he hurriedly scanned the restaurant. He eventually spotted his cousins along with Suigetsu, Naruto and Gaara seated at a table not too far away from his. "Those assholes," he hissed and gave the group the finger.

"We did the same to them," Kakashi pointed out.

"Yeah, but they were kids, and we were just trying to look out for them! We're adults – we don't need supervision."

"Obito," Kakashi said gently, trying not to smile, "you're not acting very adult right now."

"Shut up Kakashi."

* * *

At the other table Suigetsu was bored. "Why are we even here? Itachi's the only one who can lip read and even then he's only getting half the conversation!"

"We're here because they spied on all of our dates," replied Sasuke for what felt like the hundredth time that night.

"I'm here because I'm sick of their unresolved sexual tension and I don't trust those imbeciles not to mess this up," answered Itachi without looking away from the still conversing couple.

Also watching Obito and Kakashi, Gaara mumbled, "I wonder if our dates were this painful to watch."

"Probably," responded Naruto. "I remember them being pretty awkward at the time."

Without needing to look, Gaara reached for Naruto's hand. The blond grasped the pale appendage and squeezed reassuringly. A small smile unconsciously crossed both their lips.

"That's it," Suigetsu growled. He grabbed Sasuke by the neck of his shirt and dragged him to his feet. "We're going to go make out in the bathroom; you losers enjoy yourselves."

Sasuke glared at his boyfriend, but didn't protest as he was led away from the table.

"Foolish little brother," Itachi muttered, still not looking away from where his cousin appeared to not be crashing and burning.

Naruto grinned as he shifted his chair closer to Gaara's. "You want to leave too?"

"I want to witness Obito make a fool of himself and have photographic evidence to lord over him for the rest of his life."

Naruto snickered. "Good point. It's only fair."

"Yes," Gaara agreed with a vicious smile. "It's only fair."

* * *

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